Johnson might one day prove to be a miracle of modern science. He’s certainly fascinating to read about. Or he could be hit by a bus tomorrow. And then maybe he’d regret eating the same meals into Tupperware every day, avoiding sunny vacations and added sugar.
And who is to say that his protocol is the right one? Nutritionists told us all to avoid eggs for fear of cholesterol for years until they decided that they were a nutritional godsend.
Wine is bad for you, except that it might prevent cancer. Chocolate is a superfood, provided it’s organic, 85 per cent cocoa, and you only have one square. Protein is great, but protein powder is ultra processed and must be avoided at all costs.
Nutritionists don’t agree on what is and isn’t good for you. Their findings seem to change every five years. And even if you somehow followed the right “protocol”, it’s almost impossible to avoid the health pitfalls of modern life.
Microplastics are in your drinking water and food packaging. They may cause fertility and neurological issues. Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (forever chemicals) are in our cookware, clothes and blood. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals are on every receipt that you touch.
I come from the most health-optimised generation. We drink less than our parents. We wear smart watches, go to yoga and swap out ice cream for frozen yogurt. There is now a high-protein version of the mini Babybel, Mars bar and 0-per-cent craft lager for those trying to hit their wellness goals.
But none of it appears to be working. The Lancet Public Health journal has found that incident rates of 17 cancer types are climbing in each generation. The more we “optimise”, the less healthy we seem to get.