Ask Dr Vincent

The Male Health Crisis Nobody Wants to Talk About - After Hours #036

Dr Vincent — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 06:55:08 GMT

There is a growing health crisis that doesn’t show up on a blood test, an MRI or even during a routine check-up. It’s loneliness. We often think of loneliness as something that only affects older people, but the reality is that it can affect anyone, especially men. As life changes through careers, fatherhood and increasing responsibilities, many men slowly lose the friendships and routines that once kept them connected. What makes this particularly challenging is that loneliness is often hidden behind success, busyness or the belief that everyone else is coping just fine. Yet research shows loneliness is linked to poorer physical and mental health, reminding us that meaningful relationships are just as important to our wellbeing as exercise and good nutrition.

I don’t believe the solution is simply telling people to “make more friends.” Real connection takes intention. For me, some of the best places to build friendships are through shared experiences, whether that’s joining a gym, a walking group, a community class or even attending a local workshop. The goal isn’t to leave with a best friend after one visit. It’s simply to keep showing up. A simple conversation, a familiar face or asking someone how they’re really doing can make a remarkable difference. Being alone isn’t the same as being lonely, and investing in our relationships with others, and with ourselves, may be one of the most powerful things we can do for our long-term health and happiness.

After Hours is where science gets personal. Hosted by Dr Vincent, your friendly neighbourhood scientist and Stephen!
This podcast is part of the Ask Dr Vincent on Substack.

Available for iOS and Android

Newsletter Issue #15 - Breakfast: The Habit That Refuses to Go Away

Dr Vincent — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 10:53:05 GMT

Newsletter #15

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This week's newsletter explores the evidence behind breakfast, sugar and coffee, offering practical, science-backed strategies for building a healthier morning routine while making smarter everyday nutrition choices.

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Breakfast is one of nutrition's most enduring debates, and this week on After Hours with Dr Vincent, we revisit the science with fresh eyes. We explore what decades of research tell us about breakfast and cognitive performance, why quality matters more than simply eating first thing, and how the modern obsession with health data can sometimes create more anxiety than better health. Along the way, we discuss sleep, sustainable habits and why the best health advice is often the advice you can actually stick with for life.

We also answer a listener's question about whether sugary breakfasts are acceptable if you're active, comparing popular cereals, explaining how much exercise it takes to burn them off, and why reading nutrition labels is so important. Plus, we examine the role of coffee in your morning routine, including the best time to enjoy your first cup, and share practical ways to use Activated Greens Plus+ to bridge everyday nutritional gaps. It's a reminder that lasting health isn't built on extreme routines, but on small, repeatable choices that work with your body rather than against it.

With my best

Dr Vincent

After Hours is where science gets personal. Hosted by Dr Vincent, your friendly neighbourhood scientist and Stephen!
This podcast is part of the Ask Dr Vincent on Substack.

The Best of Both Worlds - After Hours #035

Dr Vincent — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 06:41:47 GMT

One of the things I love most about hosting the After Hours podcast is that it constantly challenges my own thinking. Every week, Stephen and I explore questions that seem simple on the surface but quickly become much more complex. In this episode, we revisit one of the biggest debates in health: is breakfast really the most important meal of the day? Along the way, we also talk about wearable technology, sleep tracking, the balance between data and intuition, and why living a healthy life is about much more than chasing perfect numbers. The more I learn, the more I realise that health is rarely black and white. It is about finding what works for your body while staying curious enough to keep asking better questions.

Perhaps the biggest lesson I took away from this conversation is that longevity should never come at the expense of actually enjoying life. I want to live a long life, but more importantly, I want to live a healthy, happy and meaningful one. Whether it’s deciding if breakfast suits your lifestyle, learning something new every day, or resisting the temptation to obsess over every health metric on your smartwatch, I believe balance will always beat perfection. I hope this episode encourages you to think critically, stay curious and remember that sometimes the best health advice isn’t choosing one extreme over another, but finding the best of both worlds.

After Hours is where science gets personal. Hosted by Dr Vincent, your friendly neighbourhood scientist and Stephen!
This podcast is part of the Ask Dr Vincent on Substack.

Available for iOS and Android

Social Media and Health

Dr Vincent — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:29:23 GMT

Social media often gets blamed for making us less healthy. It fuels comparison, unrealistic expectations and an endless stream of conflicting advice. But after returning from the US, completing my first HYROX and reflecting on the conversations Stephen and I had in this episode, I found myself asking a different question. Could social media also be encouraging more people to move, challenge themselves and build healthier habits? The answer, I think, is more nuanced than a simple yes or no.

In this episode, I share my own internal tug of war with social media. I admit that posting my HYROX result gave me a sense of pride, but it also made me question where the motivation was really coming from. We explore how technology can inspire us to walk more, exercise together and celebrate progress, while also recognising the dangers of comparison and turning health into a competition. My hope is that this conversation reminds you to use social media as a tool rather than letting it use you, and to remember that the healthiest journey is still the one that helps you become a better version of yourself, not someone else’s.

After Hours is where science gets personal. Hosted by Dr Vincent, your friendly neighbourhood scientist and Stephen!
This podcast is part of the Ask Dr Vincent on Substack.

Available for iOS and Android

Newsletter Issue #14 - Is Social Media Helping or Hurting Your Health?

Dr Vincent — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 10:47:00 GMT

Newsletter Issue #14

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This week's newsletter explores how social media shapes our health decisions, examines the science behind breakfast and chia seeds, and shares practical lessons on building lasting healthy habits through consistent daily action rather than chasing online trends.

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Social media has transformed the way we learn about health, but not always for the better. In this week's After Hours with Dr Vincent, we unpack how algorithms often reward engagement over accuracy, making it easier for misinformation, unrealistic body standards and quick-fix wellness trends to spread. We also revisit the timeless foundations of good health, including regular movement, hydration and building sustainable habits, reminding listeners that the basics consistently outperform the latest viral fad.

This issue also takes a deep dive into one of nutrition's longest-running debates: is breakfast really the most important meal of the day? We explore what the evidence actually says, why breakfast isn't essential for everyone, and who is most likely to benefit from it. You'll also discover the science behind chia seeds, practical ways to include them in your diet, insights from Dr Vincent's HYROX experience on becoming an "everyday athlete", and why choosing evidence over hype remains the key to long-term health.

After Hours is where science gets personal. Hosted by Dr Vincent, your friendly neighbourhood scientist and Stephen!
This podcast is part of the Ask Dr Vincent on Substack.

Newsletter Issue #13 - The Quiet Inflammation You Can't Afford to Ignore

Dr Vincent — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 10:42:00 GMT

Newsletter Issue #13

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This week, we unpack the hidden impact of chronic inflammation, share ten simple habits to help reduce it, explore the science and everyday uses of ginger, and explain why smarter skincare works with your skin instead of against it. Small choices, repeated consistently, can make a remarkable difference to your long-term health.

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Inflammation isn't always obvious. It doesn't always arrive as pain, swelling or illness. More often, it quietly shows up as persistent fatigue, brain fog, poor sleep or getting sick more often than usual. In this week's After Hours with Dr Vincent, we explore why these subtle signals deserve our attention and how learning to recognise patterns, rather than obsessing over numbers, can help us take control of our health before small problems become much bigger ones. We also discuss the importance of having a trusted GP, using blood tests wisely, and listening to your body's own early warning system.

We also share ten practical ways to reduce everyday inflammation, from staying hydrated and eating four different vegetables each day to making plants the hero of your plate and tackling small health issues early. Alongside the podcast highlights, this issue takes a closer look at ginger's long history as both a culinary ingredient and traditional remedy, and explains why some skincare products appear to "stop working" over time, introducing the science behind Activated Phenolics and their role in supporting long-term skin health. Together, these stories reinforce a simple message: lasting health isn't built through perfection, but through consistent, everyday choices.

With my best,

Dr Vincent

After Hours is where science gets personal. Hosted by Dr Vincent, your friendly neighbourhood scientist and Stephen!
This podcast is part of the Ask Dr Vincent on Substack.

Inflammation: Why Your Body is Quietly on Fire

Dr Vincent — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 07:01:49 GMT

This episode, Stephen and I finally dove into a topic that I have been wanting to tackle for a while: inflammation. And I want to be honest about why I find this so frustrating as a scientist. Eighty percent of our illnesses and diseases are rooted in inflammation, yet it is consistently one of the most overlooked health conversations out there. Unlike a broken arm or a deep cut, inflammation hides. It shows up as brain fog you brush off as a bad night’s sleep. It shows up as that low-level tiredness you keep blaming on a busy week. We talked about how conditions like PCOS and endometriosis were dismissed for decades, not because patients were wrong, but because the signs were subtle and the pattern was slow. That is the insidious thing about inflammation: because it does not demand your attention the way an obvious injury does, most people put it in the back burner until it has compounded into something far harder to reverse. The key message I kept coming back to is this: know yourself, look for the pattern, and do not wait for a crisis.

From there we got practical. I shared the two atomic habits I genuinely believe make the biggest difference when it comes to managing inflammation over time: hydration and plants. Water is unglamorous advice but it is foundational, and I pushed back on the obsession with apps and tracking. We actually discussed a study showing that people with pre-existing sleep issues who started obsessively recording their sleep scores ended up sleeping worse because of the anxiety it created. The same principle applies more broadly: a little bit of honest self-awareness trumps drowning in data.

I also launched a seven-day challenge on my Instagram, asking people to include four different colored vegetables in at least one meal per day. The digestive tract repairs itself every three to five days, so within a week of doing this consistently, you will feel the difference in energy, regularity, and even skin quality. Four vegetables, seven days. That is not a diet overhaul, that is just the beginning of a new pattern.

We also had a genuinely fun conversation about food, including Stephen’s wife’s complicated relationship with lamb, the correct way to cook Brussels sprouts in an air fryer (dark soy, mirin, sesame oil, a little crisp on the outside), and the surprising botanical reality that tomatoes, coffee, and chocolate are all technically fruit.

I also shared something personal heading into the recording: the next day I was flying to Dallas and then Austin to appear on ShopLC again, this time for two shows including a Monday primetime slot broadcasting to 70 million US households. I still get nervous before those moments, but I talked about something I genuinely believe, which is that the energy you put out matters.

After Hours is where science gets personal. Hosted by Dr Vincent, your friendly neighbourhood scientist and Stephen!
This podcast is part of the Ask Dr Vincent on Substack.

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Available for iOS and Android

Ultra Processed Breakfast - After Hours #031 and Newsletter Issue #12

Dr Vincent — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 09:27:02 GMT

Breakfast might seem like an odd place to start a conversation about the global food system, but it turns out to be the perfect lens. When Stephen and I sat down to record this episode, we weren’t planning to go deep on ultra-processed food or body image or the cultural architecture of what we eat before 9am. But that’s exactly where we ended up, and I think it’s because breakfast is the one meal that most of us treat as automatic. We reach for the same thing every morning without much thought, which is precisely when food engineering does its best work. I’ll be honest: I skip breakfast a lot. That habit goes back to growing up overweight and counting every kilojoule, and it’s a pattern I’ve never fully shaken. Sharing that on the podcast felt a little exposed, but I think it matters, because what we eat is never just about nutrients. It’s about history, self-talk, and the quiet stories we carry about our bodies.

The cereal aisle was where things got genuinely interesting for me. We used Weet-Bix, Cornflakes and Sultana Bran as the baseline, then held them up against Nutri-Grain, Coco Pops, Froot Loops and Milo cereal, and the contrast is pretty striking once you start looking. The branding on those ultra-processed products is doing a lot of heavy lifting. “Nutri-Grain” sounds medical. “Made with whole grain” sounds responsible. But when you actually read the label, you’re decoding marketing far more than you’re understanding nutrition.

That same pattern plays out across the whole food system, and it gets more dramatic when you compare Australian and American products side by side. The same pasta sauce, the same bread, the same mince, but with meaningfully higher sugar and fat baselines in the US version. Eat the “same” diet across both countries and you could be taking in 10 to 15 percent more calories without changing a single habit.

We honestly feel that, this week's After Hours newsletter is one of our most practical yet. Plus, we now have a mobile friendly version too: After Hours Newsletter Issue 12

Enjoy your Sunday evening and have a great week!

With my best

Vincent

Newsletter Issue 12

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This week's After Hours newsletter is one of the most practical yet. Stephen and Dr. Vincent dig into breakfast, ultra-processed food, and why the modern food system is quietly engineered to work against you, from cereal aisle marketing tricks to why the same meal in the US carries 10 to 15 percent more calories than its Australian equivalent. They also get into coffee, and whether Stephen's long black is actually doing him any favours (spoiler: it depends on the brew method, not the postcode). Plus there's a deep dive on what to actually check on a food label when you're standing in a supermarket with kids hanging off the trolley, and why the answer is simpler than the food industry wants you to think.

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After Hours is where science gets personal. Hosted by Dr Vincent, your friendly neighbourhood scientist and Stephen!
This podcast is part of the Ask Dr Vincent on Substack.

Available for iOS and Android

Newsletter Issue #12 - Stop Trying to "Boost" Your Immune System

Dr Vincent — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 11:30:04 GMT

Newsletter Issue 12

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In this Issue, Stephen and Dr Vincent take apart the idea of "boosting" immunity and replace it with something more useful: understanding how the immune system actually works. They cover the basics (white blood cells, macrophages, skin as a first line of defence), why vaccination works like language training for your immune system, and the often-overlooked role of vitamin K in newborns. From there the conversation gets practical, hydration, sleep quality over sleep quantity, and eating with the seasons, before tying it all back to a simple idea: a calm, well-regulated immune system beats an over-amped one every time.

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People ask me all the time how they can boost their immune system before flu season hits, and I understand why. The marketing around “immune support” makes it sound like your body is an engine that just needs more fuel. But that’s not how immunity works. Your immune system isn’t a single dial you can turn up. It’s closer to a highly trained defence force, made up of cells that need to recognise threats accurately and respond proportionally. When that system is “boosted” beyond its normal range, it doesn’t get better at its job, it gets trigger happy. That’s the mechanism behind autoimmune conditions, where the immune system starts treating your own tissue as the enemy. So when I say no to “immune boosters,” I’m not being difficult. I’m pointing out that the goal isn’t a bigger army, it’s a smarter one.

This is actually the principle I had in mind when I formulated Immunity Plus+. The activated phenolics in the formula aren’t designed to ramp anything up or override what your body is already doing. They work by supporting the internal environment your immune system relies on, helping calm oxidative stress and inflammation so your cells can do their job without being pushed into overdrive.

The same logic applies to the rest of what we cover in this episode. Hydration, sleep quality, and seasonal eating all work the same way, they support the system rather than push against it. None of it is glamorous, but it’s the difference between a body that’s primed to respond well and one that’s constantly being told to do more than it needs to.

With my best,

Dr Vincent

After Hours is where science gets personal. Hosted by Dr Vincent, your friendly neighbourhood scientist and Stephen!
This podcast is part of the Ask Dr Vincent on Substack.

Immunity: Flu Season, Vax and the Autoimmune Trap - After Hours #031

Dr Vincent — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 11:08:53 GMT

Winter is here in the southern hemisphere and cold and flu season is already making itself known. In this episode, Stephen and I dig into how the immune system actually works, and the first thing I need to clear up is the biggest misconception in the wellness space: you do not want to boost your immune system. A system that is over-activated is called autoimmune disease, and there are close to a hundred of them. What you want is an immune system that is calibrated, not supercharged. We also go deep on vaccination, including why I think flu shots are more important than most people realise, how vaccines act as a training program for your immune system rather than just a one-time fix, and the genuinely alarming research linking regular immunisation across a lifetime to lower rates of dementia and Alzheimer’s. We also talk honestly about why so many parents feel hesitant when it comes to infant vaccination, and why I think the medical system needs to do a better job of having that conversation before the delivery suite rather than during it.

The second half of the episode is the practical stuff: hydration in winter (your brain will lie to you about being thirsty), sleep as a non-negotiable reset for your immune function, and food as medicine. I wrap up with a story from our recent US trip where I picked up a loaf of bread at the supermarket and checked the best before date. It was nearly a month away. At room temperature. What followed was an ingredient list I can only describe as the longest thing I have read all year, and I pride myself on knowing food additive codes. That bread was not bread. We are what we eat, and this episode is a reminder of exactly why that matters.

After Hours is where science gets personal. Hosted by Dr Vincent, your friendly neighbourhood scientist and Stephen!
This podcast is part of the Ask Dr Vincent on Substack.

Available for iOS and Android

Newsletter Issue #11 - This Week We Cooked Up a Storm

Dr Vincent — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:09:31 GMT

Newsletter Issue 11

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In this week's After Hours, Dr. Vincent and Stephen dive into the kitchen, arguing that everyday cooking decisions have a far greater impact on inflammation and disease risk than most people realise. They cover everything from knife sharpness and oil smoke points to food storage, defrosting safely, and why you should never wash raw chicken. A lively segment on tea explores the growing variety available in Australia, from classic black to herbal and ginger options. Stephen takes a deep dive into wasabi, revealing that most commercial "wasabi" is actually dyed horseradish and lacks the key isothiocyanate compounds, particularly 6-MSITC, that drive real wasabi's impressive antibacterial and cognitive benefits. The issue closes with a quick-pickle onion recipe using Renovatio apple cider vinegar, and a "Product of the Week" feature for APSKIN.

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This week Stephen and I got into one of our favourite topics: the kitchen. We made the case that most people are dramatically underestimating how much their everyday cooking habits shape their inflammation levels and long-term disease risk.

We covered a lot of ground, from why a sharp knife actually protects the nutritional value of your food, to choosing the right oil for the right temperature, to the truth about microwave-safe plastic containers and what they are actually releasing into your food. We also had some friendly disagreements along the way, including whether you should wash your rice, and I’ll let you read the newsletter to find out where we landed.

Stephen also took us deep into the science of wasabi this issue, and I have to say, it’s one of the most pharmacologically interesting culinary plants I’ve come across. The catch is that the vast majority of what you’re eating at your local Japanese restaurant is dyed horseradish with none of the active compounds that make real wasabi worth talking about.

We also brewed a pot of tea, talked about the growing variety available to Australians today, and I shared a quick-pickle onion recipe using Renovatio apple cider vinegar that genuinely makes home cooking feel like restaurant food in about ten minutes. As always, the goal is the same: giving you the knowledge to make better choices, without making it complicated.

With my best,

Dr Vincent

After Hours is where science gets personal. Hosted by Dr Vincent, your friendly neighbourhood scientist and Stephen!
This podcast is part of the Ask Dr Vincent on Substack.

In the Kitchen - After Hours #030

Dr Vincent — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 10:18:45 GMT

Everyday things we do in the kitchen that may be sabotaging our health and wellbeing.

After Hours is where science gets personal. Hosted by Dr Vincent, your friendly neighbourhood scientist and Stephen!
This podcast is part of the Ask Dr Vincent on Substack.

Available for iOS and Android

Newsletter Issue #10 - Why Aren’t We Healthier?

Dr Vincent — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 03:30:05 GMT

Newsletter Issue #10

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In this issue of After Hours, Dr Vincent and Stephen explore a deceptively simple question: why are we not healthier despite having more supplements, health products, and wellness information than ever before? The discussion examines the gap between marketing and science, highlighting how cumulative nutrient exposure, poor supplement combinations, misleading "natural" claims, and a lack of focus on bioavailability may prevent people from achieving better health outcomes. The newsletter also answers subscriber questions about simplifying supplement routines, choosing effective products, understanding antioxidants, and avoiding the hidden risks of over-supplementation.

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In this week’s After Hours podcast, Stephen and I tackled what I believe is one of the biggest contradictions in modern health: we have more supplements, health technology, and wellness advice available to us than ever before, yet many people still don’t feel healthier. We explored why regulation, transparency, and scientific evidence matter when making health decisions, and why consumers need to be cautious of bold promises and the endless stream of “breakthrough” products that appear almost daily. We also discussed the important role regulatory bodies such as the TGA play in maintaining standards and protecting public trust.

One of the key themes we explored was supplement overload. In my experience, more supplements rarely mean better outcomes. In fact, taking too many products can sometimes reduce effectiveness when nutrients compete for absorption or create unnecessary complexity. My philosophy has always been to focus on a small number of well-formulated, highly bioavailable products that your body can actually use. Stephen shared some practical examples of how common supplement combinations can interfere with one another and highlighted how AI tools may help people identify potential issues in their routines, while remembering that AI should never replace professional medical advice.

We also discussed what separates genuinely effective supplements from clever marketing. Not all antioxidants are created equal. Their source, structure, extraction method, and bioavailability all influence whether they can deliver meaningful benefits. I shared why I’ve spent much of my career studying how to preserve and activate apple phenolics so they remain usable by the body. We also spoke about the risks of assuming that “natural” automatically means safe. Supplements can be beneficial, but they can also be harmful when used excessively or combined inappropriately. Ultimately, the message of this episode is simple: focus on quality over quantity, understand what you’re putting into your body, and make evidence-based decisions rather than chasing the latest wellness trend.

With my best,

Dr Vincent

After Hours is where science gets personal. Hosted by Dr Vincent, your friendly neighbourhood scientist and Stephen!
This podcast is part of the Ask Dr Vincent on Substack.

Why are we not healthier?

Dr Vincent — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 01:44:16 GMT

With all the tech and innovation, why are we not healthier?

After Hours is where science gets personal. Hosted by Dr Vincent, your friendly neighbourhood scientist and Stephen!
This podcast is part of the Ask Dr Vincent on Substack.

Available for iOS and Android

Newsletter Issue #9 - "Plant-Based." "Keto." "Guilt Free." Don't Fall For It.

Dr Vincent — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 11:05:33 GMT

Newsletter Issue #9

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This issue centres on the Health Halo Effect, how a single positive word on food packaging tricks us into assuming the whole product is healthy, with Dr. Vincent and Stephen unpacking real examples from folic-acid cereals to vegan burgers and energy drinks, and offering practical label-reading strategies. Subscriber Q&As cover the halo effect in tech (Apple's green branding), recyclable eyewear, and a fun detour into Filipino dessert halo halo. Stephen shares a behind-the-scenes look at using a self-hosted reasoning AI to generate a roasted passata recipe, exposing both the impressive capabilities and the real inconsistencies AI can produce without human oversight. The Daily Dose recap covers collagen, the 10,000 steps mortality study, olive oil and brain health, smartwatch data at doctor appointments, and the science of venting. The issue also features Renovatio's Activated Apple Cider Vinegar as the product of the week.

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This week Stephen and I got into something that genuinely frustrates me: the Health Halo Effect. It’s the reason so many people eat “healthy” for months and see no change in their weight, their cholesterol, or how they feel. It’s not their fault. Food companies are very good at putting one glowing word on the front of a packet and hoping you never flip it over. We went through real examples including vegan burgers, energy drinks, and “all natural” oat slices with 20% sugar, and I tried to give people the actual tools to see through it, because awareness alone isn’t enough. You have to read the label.

We also did something a little different this issue. Stephen put his self-hosted AI through its paces generating a passata recipe with verbose reasoning turned on, so you can see exactly how these models think and where they get it wrong. It’s a genuinely useful window into why AI is brilliant for ingredients and substitutions but still can’t replace a recipe that’s actually been tested in a real kitchen.

On the Daily Dose side, I covered a 72,000-person study on walking and mortality, why extra virgin olive oil and regular olive oil are not interchangeable for brain health, and my personal favourite of the week: the science of why complaining can actually be good for you.

With my best,

Dr Vincent

After Hours is where science gets personal. Hosted by Dr Vincent, your friendly neighbourhood scientist and Stephen!
This podcast is part of the Ask Dr Vincent on Substack.

The Health Halo Effect

Dr Vincent — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 06:50:51 GMT

This week on After Hours, we unpacked something that quietly shapes almost every decision you make in the supermarket: the health halo effect. It’s the idea that a single “good” word on packaging, like plant-based, natural, or added vitamins, creates a perception that the entire product is healthy. In reality, that same product could still be high in sugar, salt, or heavily processed. As I shared, this isn’t accidental. Brands understand how our brains work. We’re busy, we’re time-poor, and we rely on shortcuts. So instead of reading the back label, we trust the front. And that’s where the disconnect happens.

The takeaway isn’t to become paranoid, but to become a little more aware. Most people genuinely want to be healthier, but the system doesn’t always make that easy. Between marketing, pricing strategies, and limited time, even the best intentions can be misled. My advice is simple: be a little more skeptical, focus less on the claims and more on the substance, and understand that “healthy” is not a label, it’s a composition. When you know better, you can choose better. And that’s really the goal, not perfection, but progress.

After Hours is where science gets personal. Hosted by Dr Vincent, your friendly neighbourhood scientist and Stephen!
This podcast is part of the Ask Dr Vincent on Substack.

Available for iOS and Android

Does Your Face Mist Actually Work? - Daily Dose 007

Dr Vincent — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:46:41 GMT

Face mists are everywhere right now. But most of them are just water and fragrance in a fancy bottle. Today on Daily Dose a scientist breaks down what's actually happening when you spritz something on your skin, what ingredients make a face mist genuinely functional, and why bioavailability is the question the skincare industry hopes you never ask.

Plus, the American Academy of Neurology just told patients to start bringing their smartwatch data to doctor's appointments, and we get into the actual science of venting. Turns out complaining can be good for you, BUT only if you're doing it right. Bottling things up is just as bad as the science says it is.

Simple science, real news, no hype. Let’s go. 🍎

Daily Dose is your daily hit of health, wellness & tech news; made simple. Hosted by Dr Vincent, your friendly neighbourhood scientist. Part of the Ask Dr Vincent universe on Substack.

Available for iOS and Android

Walk More, Live Longer - Daily Dose 006

Dr Vincent — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 01:34:18 GMT

A study of 72,000 people just confirmed what deep down we all know: walking more saves lives. Up to 39% lower risk of dying, regardless of how much time you spend sitting.

Today’s on Daily Dose we break that down and talk about why the simplest habits keep winning in the science. We also get into why the type of olive oil in your kitchen is actively changing your brain health through your gut — and why the refining process strips out the exact compounds that make it work.

And we look at new research showing that the timing of your exercise, matched to your natural body clock, can meaningfully improve blood pressure, sleep, and metabolic health.

Three stories, all pointing to the same truth: your biology rewards you for working with it, not against it.

Simple science, real news, no hype. Let’s go. 🍎

Daily Dose is your daily hit of health, wellness & tech news; made simple. Hosted by Dr Vincent, your friendly neighbourhood scientist. Part of the Ask Dr Vincent universe on Substack.

Available for iOS and Android

Newsletter Issue #8 - Eat Seasonally, Stay Warm, Think Clearly

Dr Vincent — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:49:31 GMT

Newsletter Issue #8 - Eat Seasonally, Stay Warm, Think Clearly

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This issue of the After Hours Newsletter covers the podcast's latest episode on staying healthy in winter, covering immunity, hydration, movement, skin health, light exposure, and sleep. It includes subscriber Q&As with tailored activity recommendations for Melbourne and Chicago, a deep dive on UV exposure and sun safety across Australia and the US, a roundup of the week's Daily Dose science content (covering GLP-1 pills, brain waste-removal, meditation, red light therapy, and collagen), and a recipe for kangaroo with Japanese pumpkin and pepperberries using native Australian ingredients.

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This week on After Hours, Stephen and I got into something I genuinely care about: why winter makes us sick — and it’s not what most people think. It’s not about more germs. It’s about what we do differently. We move less, hydrate less, breathe drier air, and crowd indoors — and all of that quietly erodes our immune defences at the cellular level. We talked through what that actually means for your gut, your airways, your skin, and your sleep, and what small daily habits can genuinely shift your resilience before the cold really sets in.

We also answered subscriber questions from Melbourne and Chicago, unpacked the real science behind UV exposure and vitamin D on both sides of the world, and I shared what seven days of meditation does to the brain at a cellular level — the findings genuinely surprised even the researchers who ran the study. If you missed the Daily Dose LIVE this week, the recap inside covers everything from the first oral GLP-1 pill to why your collagen supplement probably isn’t doing what you think it is. It’s been a big week of science made simple, and there’s plenty to dig into.

With my best,

Dr Vincent

After Hours is where science gets personal. Hosted by Dr Vincent, your friendly neighbourhood scientist and Stephen!
This podcast is part of the Ask Dr Vincent on Substack.

The Health Halo — Daily Dose 005

Dr Vincent — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:41:49 GMT

The food industry has spent decades perfecting the art of making unhealthy food look healthy. One buzzword on the front of a packet: organic, plant-based, gluten-free — and your brain automatically assumes the whole product is good for you.

Scientists call it the Health Halo Effect, and it's one of the most powerful marketing tools ever invented. Today on Daily Dose I break down exactly how it works, the specific words to watch out for, and how to read a food label the way a scientist does. Plus a major new study on loneliness and memory that has a surprising twist, and the collagen conversation the supplement industry doesn't want you having, because it turns out collagen alone isn't enough, and the science now shows exactly why.

Simple science, real news, no hype. Let’s go. 🍎

Daily Dose is your daily hit of health, wellness & tech news; made simple. Hosted by Dr Vincent, your friendly neighbourhood scientist. Part of the Ask Dr Vincent universe on Substack.

Available for iOS and Android