April 4, 2025: How to protect your DNA: healthy fish & sunscreen

Happy Friday! Each week, I’m sharing two nano health habits, a lesson, and an inspirational quote to ponder on your health journey.

No one’s yet discovered the elixir of youth. There is no one fix for a longer, healthier life. What we do have, though, are nano or micro habits that together make all the difference.

Two Nano Health Habits

Eat fruit & vegetables every day. An easy way to support our gut is to eat fruit & vegetables. They are great sources of vitamins and minerals, which we need for life, as well as dietary fiber for a healthy gut.

Most of us don’t eat the recommended two-to-three cups of vegetables a day and one-and-a-half to two cups of fruit.

That’s the minimum!

Wear sunscreen outside. Sunscreen is essential during the summer months to prevent DNA damage from the sun. Zinc oxide and titanium oxide are generally considered safe ingredients.

Note that once common ingredients oxybenzone and octinoxate have been banned in Key West and Hawaii, due to their impact on marine environments.

One Lesson

DNA damage accelerates aging. We know that one of the hallmarks of aging is damage to our DNA. Metals such as mercury and lead can cause tiny breaks in our DNA.

So, it’s best to avoid eating big fish, like tuna and swordfish, which accumulate heavy metals over time.

Smaller fish like salmon and anchovies are best for gaining the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids.

One Quote

“Know thyself.”

Inscribed on the Temple of Apollo, Greece