👉 Join thousands in exploring actionable insights that prioritise compassion, clarity, and real-life impact.

https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/What if the food you eat every day is quietly shaping not just your physical health, but your brain, your mood, and your long term resilience?

In this episode of Live Well Be Well, I’m joined by Dr. William Li, physician scientist, bestselling author, and president of the Angiogenesis Foundation. William is one of the world’s leading voices on food as medicine, and together we explore how nutrition, immunity, and brain health are deeply connected, often in ways we underestimate.

In this conversation, Dr. William Li shares how the body’s defence systems are constantly communicating with the brain, influencing inflammation, cognition, mood, and ageing. Drawing on decades of research, he explains how everyday foods can strengthen immunity, protect blood vessels, and support brain function, not through restriction or perfection, but through consistent, nourishing choices.

We discuss why immune health matters far beyond avoiding illness, how inflammation silently impacts mood and cognition, and why nourishing the body is one of the most accessible tools we have for long term resilience. This episode is an invitation to move away from fear based nutrition and toward a calmer, evidence led understanding of how the body heals, adapts, and thrives when supported consistently over time.
Here’s What We Dive Into:

- How the immune system influences brain health, mood, and cognitive ageing.

- Why chronic inflammation quietly undermines wellbeing long before symptoms appear.

- What angiogenesis is and why healthy blood vessels matter for brain function.

- How specific foods support the body’s natural defence and repair systems.

- Why food as medicine is about consistency, not restriction or perfection.

- What the science really says about nutrition and disease prevention.

- How everyday dietary choices shape long term resilience and longevity.

- Why empowering people with knowledge creates healthier relationships with food.

Love,

Sarah Ann 💛

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This episode is sponsored by:

NOWATCH: The compassionate health tracker

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15% off with code LWBW15 at nowatch.com

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00:00 Introduction

00:14 Defining Lifespan and Healthspan

03:23 The Importance of Social Connections

05:57 Reframing Aging and Healthspan

11:20 The Role of Metabolism in Aging

13:25 The Vagus Nerve and Gut-Brain Connection

17:33 The Brain Microbiome: A New Frontier

23:58 Probiotics and Brain Health

31:10 Navigating Probiotics: What to Look For

38:13 The Role of Akkermansia in Metabolism and Diabetes

38:47 Probiotics as Medicine: Clinical Trials and Benefits

39:23 Akkermansia and GLP-1: Implications for Weight Management

40:58 Akkermansia's Impact on Immune System and Cancer Treatment

47:01 Growing Akkermansia: Foods and Probiotics

57:12 The Importance of Hydration and Healthy Beverages

01:07:16 Balancing Health Goals with Joy and Simplicity

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Akkermansia, Cancer & GLP-1: How Your Gut Microbiome Shapes Immunity & the Brain | Dr William Li

Live Well Be Well with Sarah Ann Macklin | Health, Lifestyle, Nutrition