Dr Michael Mosley’s last health tips have been revealed, as the first of a two-part special of his show Just One Thing, aired on Monday (14 October).
The TV doctor, who died after disappearing on a walk on the Greek island of Symi, was hailed as “one of the most important broadcasters of recent decades”.
The 67-year-old was found to have died of natural causes on 5 June after setting off for a walk from Saint Nikolas beach at around 1.30pm that day in searing 40C heat without a mobile phone.
Mosley was known for sharing easy tips, to encourage a healthier lifestyle, that could be seamlessly incorporated into everyday life.
In the special, he shared one of his most popular pieces of advice: having a cold shower in the morning.
He advises to start the process by working your way up, enduring the blast of cold water for 10 seconds at first. He recommends an average of 30 seconds as part of a regular routine, because doing it for longer than that has not proven to have any additional health benefits. There has been limited study into the technique.
In the programme, he tests the technique on a busy single mother of two, Jayne, who describes herself as “permanently knackered”. She confirmed that the technique left her feeling more energised.
The TV personality, who regularly made appearances on This Morning, found his passion for health and wellbeing following the early death of his father Bill.
His self-experimentation, he once admitted to The Guardian, was inspired by his father’s death as a result of complications from diabetes.
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“No male in my family has made it beyond 72,” he said. “His friends said how much like him I was, so he was kind of a warning from history.”
He was the author of several books including The Fast 800, The Fast Diet, and The 8 Week Blood Sugar Diet.
In a moving post on Instagram, his wife Claire paid tribute to her husband as she wrote: “Michael was an amazing man. Thank you for seeing that too. We miss him so much.”
Michael Mosley: Just One Thing aired on BBC One and is on iPlayer now. Part two of the documentary is to be released on Monday (21 October).