A Better Second Half: Dial Back Your Age to Live a Longer, Healthier, Happier Life

by Liz Earle

Liz Earle shows us how to future-proof our health in midlife and beyond using evidence-based techniques, ideas and wisdom accumulated over her years of experience in the wellbeing arena.We all know that midlife women are often hit the hardest of all health-wise, sandwiched between bringing up our families, juggling work and caring for ailing parents, and it is all too easy to lose sight of ourselves. But whatever stage or age you are there is hope and many ways to take back control of your health - physical, mental and emotional - and make yourself a priority rather than bottom of the to-do list. Liz Earle will sort the fads from the fiction in wellbeing and break through the noise that surrounds all the online advice that can overwhelm us. She has taken this mission to heart with her empowering new book A BETTER SECOND HALF. Part a retrospective of her life and part a brilliant, distillation of self-help, Liz puts forward what we need to do to live well and age well through midlife and beyond. Never shy of making her body a testing lab for new discoveries, Liz shares important information on the gut-brain axis, nutri-genomics, the efficacy of high intensity weight training, the pros and cons of low carb diets, biohacking techniques and much, much more.Liz Earle is one of the most-trusted voices in wellbeing today and here she shares her hard-won wisdom, practical advice and know-how that can turn the tide on those feelings of dejection and can have us heading into our second halves full of vigour and hope to live longer and better.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Self Help

400 pages, Hardcover

Published May 13, 2025

Reviews

[Lucy Reynolds · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is some useful advice here but I did disagree with some of it - especially around supplements, as there are many contraindications (I'm on anticoagulants and can't take many of what she advised, so do check!).
HRT is great if you can or wish to take it but it's not for everyone, and doesn't help everyone who tries it, so the suggestion here that yes, you can take some supplements, but you should really be taking/using HRT regardless rankles me a bit.
A lot of her treatments, supplements, dietary advice is also EXPENSIVE. I'd love to see a guide like this which doesn't want you to waste hundreds of pounds in trying which supplements work or don't.
Also lacked inclusivity, in addition to cost of living considerations. There was some mention of the health differences women of colour experience, but nothing for non-binary or trans people in their second half.

[Kirsty Keddie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book very disappointing, I was expecting less faddy advice. Perhaps because I listened on talking book, dictated by Liz herself, the book felt like one long lecture. Liz’s advice, whilst based on science, is very one dimensional and based on what works for her and her outlook on life which includes a genuine desire and belief to live until she is at least 120.

The mainstay of her advice is based on taking supplements and nearly every chapter contains a long list of these. I can’t imagine how many she is taking every day or how much it must cost her…and a lot of this based on ‘scientific studies’ from mice or small scale trials.

Unless you want an overwhelming set of lists of supplements to buy, don’t waste your money on this book!

[Niki · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 rounded up.

I’m an elderly care doctor and am very interested in life- and health-span research. I picked up this book because I thought it would be more about how to look young whilst I’m avoiding frailty.

There’s some really good stuff in here (eg fasting, NAD+, reservatrol, cold exposure, weight lifting), but some of the science is a bit shakey. At times it’s evidence that’s weak, at other times it was clear that she didn’t really understand what the study was showing so just fluffed it out a bit. As a doctor, I was aware that some of this was bullshit, and it made me take the rest with a pinch of salt.

For example:
1) she talks about certain yoga positions where you are upside down ‘increasing cerebrospinal fluid’. Increasing what? Volume? (That would be bad for you and potentially give you normal pressure hydrocephalus) Pressure? (Well inevitably temporarily the pressure would be greater when you’re upside down because of gravity… but if she’s saying it increases it long term that would also be very bad for you) Some unspecified other quality of CSF?
2) she’s very anti-statin, and quotes a dodgy study which linked statin use with increased risk of dementia. However, there’s overwhelming evidence that both vascular and Alzheimer’s dementia are linked with increased cholesterol. In fact the latest WHO/lancet commission suggests that hypercholesterolaemia represents 7% of all dementia risk factors, making it the joint first modifiable risk factor for dementia. On top of this, there’s increasing evidence that statins increase life- and health-span regardless of cholesterol level.
3) toxins are not expelled by our body during sleep into our tongues. Our livers and kidneys do this for us and I would not recommend scraping either of those with a copper scraper.
I could give many more examples but it would get boring.

So in summary, this is a strong introduction to health-span but read it with just a pinch of salt. Easier to read and more broad than ‘Lifespan’ by David Sinclair (my favourite book on the subject) but not as soundly based in science.

I will be lending this book to my mum for a read, and I am convinced enough to buy myself some protein powder.

[Sara Guia de Abreu · Rating 2 out of 5]

If anyone writes down all the daily advice (supplements, habits, exercise, food, etc) given throughout the whole book, they’ll soon realize it’s practically impossible to keep up with everything written here. I honestly have no idea how the author says she does/consumes these things every day. And granted that some of the advice is valuable, it is just too much and unrealistic, especially for a regular woman juggling a family and a full-time job (not even mentioning if from a low income environment) with barely any help.
Two stars because some references are important and I might come back to some chapters.

All in all: drink water, eat more protein and stop eating sugar. If you feel things changing, talk to your doctor.

[Luca Nicoletti · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting book about getting the best out of life in our "second half" of it. But don't get discouraged from reading this if you're still young. The topics covered, and the suggestions given from the authors will apply to young individuals as much as they apply to older individuals.
Prevention is better than cure, so if you're not yet in your second half, read this book, and you'll reach that in a way better way than you would without reading the book.
I loved several of the chapters in this book, especially the one about her morning routine, the movement and diet ones are great additions as well.

[Beth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gave up on this a few chapters in. I should have read more reviews before I bought it! It's wall to wall woo wellness nonsense. I tried to plough on through details of many supplements and faddy nonsense and downright terrible advice - electrolyte water! biohacking! weigh yourself every morning! (yes she really advises that) - in the hopes that there may be some useful gems hidden in the mud but had to give up. Don't waste your time.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting book for those of us in our second half of life. Good combination of sciencey stuff and simple advice. I’ve followed Liz’s career for several decades and she’s a trustworthy source of well researched and up to date info on all aspects of aging well.

[Victoria Kehoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A toolkit - so many useful and practical tips to apply to this stage in life. Scientific and evidence based I loved this book, then got it on audible so I could listen again and take more on. Lots of what is in this book has helped me me hugely and given me hope.

[Sue Stacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure about this… Pretty much every chapter has a massive emphasis on supplements. Sleep chapter had some good practical points but even then a lot of detail about supplements and herbal remedies.
Overall really disappointing as I thought it would be more useful and practical than it is.

[Judi Mckay]

DNF
As I read the book i found I was questioning her advice and disagreeing with some of it. Decided life was too short to finish a book that I probably would t get anything out of. Read about half.

[Rhoda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great nutrition and exercise information in a world where medicine still ignores women’s needs

[Nia Goode · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of good ideas and tips but you need money and be working part time to follow most of the advice.

[Sandra Mandziuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some good information and ideas to follow in between all the more scientific stuff. The only problem with a lot of the recommended products- the expense!!
Useful to dip into for help/advice.

[Emma Steel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook. Lots of detail. Some useful takeaways.

[NovelNancyM · Rating 4 out of 5]

At times this book is highly technical and scientific, but it appears to be backed up by science and research. Helpful information for women who are aging.

[Rebecca Shipton · Rating 2 out of 5]

A few new takeaways but ultimately seemed to be a push for supplements. if you chose to use all the supplements she recommends, you'd be spending hundreds of pounds a month!

[Adel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of info, presented in Liz’s style. 4 ⭐️

[Pamela Daniels · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the book to be too scientifically detailed, making me skip pages and putting tags in where I was interested. I got confused with all the things we need to be doing, eating, etc that it's become one blur. Wish I hadn't purchased it, even though I have a lot of admiration for Liz Earle.