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Busting the Code to Ageing: How to Win the Inflammation Game
216 pages, Paperback
Published July 28, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 4, 2025
I received a complimentary copy from Rowanvale Books and am voluntarily leaving my review.
From the opening pages, Dr. Victoria Manning makes it clear: this isn’t just another anti-ageing book. What stands out immediately is her grounding in practical medicine, decades of clinical experience, and her urgent, clear-eyed mission: inflammation is not some vague buzzword, but the hidden culprit accelerating ageing in body, mind, and skin.
What I found most compelling:
Science made accessible: Manning cuts through the myths. Her explanations of how inflammation works at a cellular level are precise but never overwhelming. You don’t need a medical degree to understand the “why” behind wrinkles, fatigue, or sleep disruption. She translates complex biology into doable insights.
Actionable guidance: It isn’t just theory. The book contains checklists, dietary suggestions, and lifestyle shifts that feel realistic. Dr. Manning emphasizes consistent, small changes (sleep, stress, diet, skin care) over perfect routines. That makes the advice stick.
Medical credibility + real-world stories: Her experience as a GP, aesthetic doctor, working in different environments (even prison healthcare) gives her a breadth of insight. She isn’t just quoting studies, she sees how inflammation plays out in people’s lives, and she shows what works (and what often fails).
⚠ What Might Be Less Strong / Things to Be Mindful Of
Familiar territory: If you’ve read a lot of wellness / longevity books, much of the material (anti-oxidants, gut health, sleep hygiene) will feel familiar. The power of this book is more in the clarity and organization than in entirely new revelations.
Shade of caution needed: Anytime you emphasize supplements or precise nutrition, there's risk of over-commercialization or making readers feel guilty if they can’t follow every recommendation. Balance is crucial.
Intensity of change: Some of the steps require sustained commitment - changing diet, resting better, prioritizing recovery. Readers will likely find the “easy wins” helpful, but the deeper habits might feel demanding depending on their life situation.
💬 Who Will This Resonate With
I believe Busting the Code to Ageing will especially appeal to:
Anyone feeling frustrated by traditional ageing advice that promises miracles, but delivers little.
People interested in wellness who want science
From the opening pages, Dr. Victoria Manning makes it clear: this isn’t just another anti-ageing book. What stands out immediately is her grounding in practical medicine, decades of clinical experience, and her urgent, clear-eyed mission: inflammation is not some vague buzzword, but the hidden culprit accelerating ageing in body, mind, and skin.
What I found most compelling:
Science made accessible: Manning cuts through the myths. Her explanations of how inflammation works at a cellular level are precise but never overwhelming. You don’t need a medical degree to understand the “why” behind wrinkles, fatigue, or sleep disruption. She translates complex biology into doable insights.
Actionable guidance: It isn’t just theory. The book contains checklists, dietary suggestions, and lifestyle shifts that feel realistic. Dr. Manning emphasizes consistent, small changes (sleep, stress, diet, skin care) over perfect routines. That makes the advice stick.
Medical credibility + real-world stories: Her experience as a GP, aesthetic doctor, working in different environments (even prison healthcare) gives her a breadth of insight. She isn’t just quoting studies, she sees how inflammation plays out in people’s lives, and she shows what works (and what often fails).
⚠ What Might Be Less Strong / Things to Be Mindful Of
Familiar territory: If you’ve read a lot of wellness / longevity books, much of the material (anti-oxidants, gut health, sleep hygiene) will feel familiar. The power of this book is more in the clarity and organization than in entirely new revelations.
Shade of caution needed: Anytime you emphasize supplements or precise nutrition, there's risk of over-commercialization or making readers feel guilty if they can’t follow every recommendation. Balance is crucial.
Intensity of change: Some of the steps require sustained commitment - changing diet, resting better, prioritizing recovery. Readers will likely find the “easy wins” helpful, but the deeper habits might feel demanding depending on their life situation.
💬 Who Will This Resonate With
I believe Busting the Code to Ageing will especially appeal to:
Anyone feeling frustrated by traditional ageing advice that promises miracles, but delivers little.
People interested in wellness who want science
August 26, 2025
This book looks at how inflammation affects our overall health and drives ageing (‘inflammageing’), including skin ageing. It covers science-backed strategies for dealing with inflammation and making better lifestyle choices to help with skin ageing and health.
It has four parts that discuss ageing, the gut, environmental factors and actionable steps. It covers a wide range of topics, such as nutrition, sleep, stress, smoking and excess weight. The author talks about a personalised approach to skincare and her own ‘DOSED by Doctors’ line. She gives practical advice as actionable steps that you can do yourself to help with skin ageing.
The author is a GP and aesthetic doctor and her expertise is apparent. She writes in a friendly and relatable way. She also clearly explains the biology and uses analogies, so it is easy to understand (you don’t need lots of biological knowledge). The summaries of each chapter’s main points as takeaways are helpful.
I liked that this book looks at anti-inflammatory skincare and overall health and that it’s not just about the outward appearance of the skin. The actionable steps, personal tales of patients and skin health quiz were enjoyable.
The only aspects that I did not like so much are that it sometimes talks about getting tests and treatments, such as blood glucose monitoring, but not everyone can easily access these, and one chapter was very focused on marketing the author's products.
However, it does have lots of useful information about skin ageing. She lists the four key products that every skincare routine needs and the morning and evening protocols, which is great to know from an expert! My key takeaways are to focus on blood sugar for reducing inflammation and to use SPF daily.
Another positive is that this book is for any age and the message is that it’s not too late to make changes, which is good to read as a woman in her fifties!
I would say that comparable books are How To Live by Robert Thomas and Age Proof by Rose Anne Kenny.
Overall, this great book is comprehensive, informative, easy to understand and practical.
(I received a free copy of this book from Rowanvale Books but I wasn’t obliged to write this review. It’s my honest opinion and not biased.)
It has four parts that discuss ageing, the gut, environmental factors and actionable steps. It covers a wide range of topics, such as nutrition, sleep, stress, smoking and excess weight. The author talks about a personalised approach to skincare and her own ‘DOSED by Doctors’ line. She gives practical advice as actionable steps that you can do yourself to help with skin ageing.
The author is a GP and aesthetic doctor and her expertise is apparent. She writes in a friendly and relatable way. She also clearly explains the biology and uses analogies, so it is easy to understand (you don’t need lots of biological knowledge). The summaries of each chapter’s main points as takeaways are helpful.
I liked that this book looks at anti-inflammatory skincare and overall health and that it’s not just about the outward appearance of the skin. The actionable steps, personal tales of patients and skin health quiz were enjoyable.
The only aspects that I did not like so much are that it sometimes talks about getting tests and treatments, such as blood glucose monitoring, but not everyone can easily access these, and one chapter was very focused on marketing the author's products.
However, it does have lots of useful information about skin ageing. She lists the four key products that every skincare routine needs and the morning and evening protocols, which is great to know from an expert! My key takeaways are to focus on blood sugar for reducing inflammation and to use SPF daily.
Another positive is that this book is for any age and the message is that it’s not too late to make changes, which is good to read as a woman in her fifties!
I would say that comparable books are How To Live by Robert Thomas and Age Proof by Rose Anne Kenny.
Overall, this great book is comprehensive, informative, easy to understand and practical.
(I received a free copy of this book from Rowanvale Books but I wasn’t obliged to write this review. It’s my honest opinion and not biased.)
August 26, 2025
Science Simplified, Ageing Reimagined
Dr Victoria Manning’s Busting the Code to Ageing reframes ageing as something we can actively influence rather than passively endure. With clarity and warmth, she explains the science of “inflammaging,” showing how chronic inflammation quietly speeds up the ageing process, and then offers practical strategies to push back.
Her advice feels both credible and accessible, ranging from nutrition and sleep to stress management and movement. The writing is clear and often inspiring, though at times the sheer number of action points comes quickly, which may leave some readers wishing for more real-life stories or personal examples to bring the guidance to life. Even so, Manning’s expertise shines through, making the book feel both authoritative and hopeful.
This is a book for readers who want to take charge of their health—whether they’re already wellness-minded, beginning to think seriously about ageing, or searching for practical steps to support long-term vitality. It would particularly appeal to those who enjoy evidence-based advice delivered in plain language, and who are ready to make small, sustainable changes that add up to lasting impact.
Thank you to Rowanvale Publishers for the opportunity to read and review this title. This review was written voluntarily.
Dr Victoria Manning’s Busting the Code to Ageing reframes ageing as something we can actively influence rather than passively endure. With clarity and warmth, she explains the science of “inflammaging,” showing how chronic inflammation quietly speeds up the ageing process, and then offers practical strategies to push back.
Her advice feels both credible and accessible, ranging from nutrition and sleep to stress management and movement. The writing is clear and often inspiring, though at times the sheer number of action points comes quickly, which may leave some readers wishing for more real-life stories or personal examples to bring the guidance to life. Even so, Manning’s expertise shines through, making the book feel both authoritative and hopeful.
This is a book for readers who want to take charge of their health—whether they’re already wellness-minded, beginning to think seriously about ageing, or searching for practical steps to support long-term vitality. It would particularly appeal to those who enjoy evidence-based advice delivered in plain language, and who are ready to make small, sustainable changes that add up to lasting impact.
Thank you to Rowanvale Publishers for the opportunity to read and review this title. This review was written voluntarily.
September 18, 2025
An enlightening read that explains in detail how our life choices impact our aging. It is very scientific but it is written in a way that makes it easy to understand, and more importantly take action that is right for each individual. Each chapter ends ‘Dr Vix Takeaways’ which summarise the information in a useful, go to, place.
Themes of exercise and eating underpin the chapters, and I really liked the line that ‘our shopping trolley is a crystal ball to our future health.’
There is a lot to take in when you read this book, and I think it is one of those books that you will return to time and time again. It does provide a guide that you can use as a reference, but I would recommend reading it all the way through first.
Overall, whilst a lot of the information is common knowledge, the scientific explanations help you to understand the importance of being consistent and making healthy choices. A very useful book and guide to support people in their anti-aging quest.
I was given an ARC copy of this book and I am happy to leave this honest review.
Themes of exercise and eating underpin the chapters, and I really liked the line that ‘our shopping trolley is a crystal ball to our future health.’
There is a lot to take in when you read this book, and I think it is one of those books that you will return to time and time again. It does provide a guide that you can use as a reference, but I would recommend reading it all the way through first.
Overall, whilst a lot of the information is common knowledge, the scientific explanations help you to understand the importance of being consistent and making healthy choices. A very useful book and guide to support people in their anti-aging quest.
I was given an ARC copy of this book and I am happy to leave this honest review.
September 23, 2025
Having entered my 40s, I have started to read on the process of ageing and the things we can do to slow down the unavoidable changes. When I came across this book, I knew that it would be the perfect read. The book speaks of one of the most important factors that contribute to ageing – inflammation – and how to stop it. I really enjoyed reading it and I got so many useful facts from it. The book includes strategies to reduce inflammation, speaks of food as medicine, encouraging us to eat the right foods and highlighting what foods should be completely eliminated from our diet. It speaks of skincare and simple shifts in our lifestyle that can really make a difference. My favorite part regarded the techniques that bring down the level of stress. All in all, it was an excellent book, I am going to return to it on a regular basis. Highly recommended on my part! I received a free copy of this book from Rowanvale Books, but the opinion I posted is my own and not biased in any way.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews