There's something magical about its vastness.
That density that wraps around you.
The silence that takes over the moment you dive in.
I don't remember what it felt like in the womb, but I've always thought it must have been something like this. A little warmer in winter, obviously.
Somewhere around 40, I discovered there's something even more magical than diving into the sea.
At first it was just a tiny heartbeat.
Then a little kick here. Another there.
And suddenly, I became a mother.
At 38 years, 3 months, 25 days and 6 hours.
And I did it again.
At 40 years, 6 months, 9 days and 5 hours.
The world changed.
And so did I.
That's how an obsession was born: looking after them well.
I learned about endocrine disruptors, VOCs and a whole alphabet of compounds that can affect cognitive development, health and, ultimately, happiness.
I specialised in sustainable construction.
I started a building company.
And among my projects was renovating my "toxin-free" flat (I'll explain the quotes someday).
And that's great, but it's not everything.
It's also what you eat.
What you do.
And how you live it.
But let me go on, because other things happened too.
Among them, a thyroid cancer diagnosis.
Good prognosis, yes.
But when someone tells you it's cancer, a fear floods in — ringing in your ears, gripping your heart so tight you don't know how it keeps beating.
And that's how my second obsession was born: learning to take care of myself.
Because my daughters are healthy as horses.
But I want to keep looking after them for a long time.
And not just them.
If I have grandchildren, it'll probably be after I'm 70.
I want to be strong enough to pick them up.
And agile enough to go hiking with them.
Or travelling…
In 2027 I'll turn 50.
My goal is to reach 120.
I'm half joking.
But only half.
Because these days it's no longer a pipe dream.
Of course genetics matters.
But what we do to protect our health, independence, strength and will to live matters even more.
And here's a spoiler: it's not just one thing.
I know that having "the key" would be fantastic.
"All you have to do is…" sounds great.
But it's fooling yourself.
And you know it.
The good news is that you don't have to do everything "perfectly" either.
That's why I want to share what actually matters when it comes to looking after your health and the people you love.
I'm not going to promise you miracles.
Or talk to you about conspiracy theories.
Because health doesn't work that way.
As a good engineer, I go by the data.
I don't settle for "this is good" or "this is bad".
I want to know how much it matters.
Compared to what.
And what happens when you put it together with everything else.
With scientific evidence.
No scaremongering.
And no oversimplification.
That's what I share in I², (Well) Informed Instinct.
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