I face sideways sleet when I venture outside, so it's tempting to hunker down and park in front of the football. I have to admit to giving in to that temptation a few times. I am pretty neutral about which team I support, generally making my decision at the start of a match, based on the wealth of the country and its population size; the smaller the sum and the bigger the differential, the greater my support.
That sounds like I am quantitative in my approach, which is not strictly true. You see, there is an unquantifiable element that enters the equation: perceived passion. I love the drama of high emotion, but the passion can't spill into too much diving-type behaviour. It's kind of a passion-minus-melodrama factor that tips the balance, and it's a very fine line.
I also have no consistency in who I barrack for; I was devastated for Senegal when they lost to Belgium, but thrilled when Belgium beat the USA. So don't ask me who I am backing to win the event; it's likely to change.
Why am I telling you this? Well, it's partly because as I write, Switzerland and Colombia have gone into extra time (I am backing Colombia), but it's also because this kind of flip-flopping, or as I describe it "agility," is going to become more and more important in your health.
Here's what I mean. When it comes to ageing well, there is no single protocol. I know that's annoying. We all want the one rule, the silver bullet supplement, the one diet that fixes everything. But protocols aren't flexible enough to account for how different we all are, and there is a lot of variation.
What works for a 50-year-old may not work for a 70-year-old. What works for someone lean may not work for someone carrying extra weight. What works for a man may not work for a postmenopausal woman. So the question to ask isn't "What's the best protocol for healthy ageing?" It's "What works for my biology, my situation, my psychology?" And being willing to change your answer as you learn is the critical agility needed.
The good news is that research and technology are catching up. This morning, amid my football watching, I was speaking with Professor Greg Cook from the University of Otago. He was describing the latest in probiotic research, arising from our new ability to culture and identify species within the gut microbiome to a level and at a speed we haven't managed before. In time, this will allow for custom-made probiotics matched to each person's microbiome.
The point of all of this is that your biology isn't fixed. It flexes in response to what you eat, how you sleep, how you move and what pharmaceuticals you take. So the smartest thing you can do is stay agile. Pay attention to your own signals, experiment, and be willing to switch teams when the evidence changes. Oh no, Colombia just lost! I will have to find a new team to barrack for.