Matt Le Roux

22/10/2026

Ever wondered whether when you eat matters as much as what you eat?

A new 12-week study of 187 adults found that eating within an 8-hour window, alongside a Mediterranean-style diet, led to a little more weight loss on average. Adding regular strength and interval training brought the biggest drop in body fat and a real boost in fitness.

For me, it's a good reminder that food, timing and movement all work together, and everyone's mix looks a bit different.

A trial led by the Joint University Institute for Sport and Health shows benefits regarding weight, body fat, and cardiorespiratory fitness in people with obesity.

22/10/2026

Here's some good news if you've ever felt overwhelmed by diet debates 🥗

A new study of about 7,500 people examined ten healthy eating styles, including Mediterranean, Nordic, plant-based, and DASH. All of them were linked to slower biological ageing, measured through changes in DNA.

The researchers' takeaway is that no single diet is "right". That leaves room to find a way of eating that suits your tastes, culture, and budget.

Curious what that could look like for you? Book a free discovery call with us at Wave Functional Health in Robina.

A study by DZNE finds that healthy eating is associated with slower biological aging—and that there is more than one way to eat healthily. The researchers examined ten dietary patterns considered healthy, including the Mediterranean, Nordic, and a plant-based diet, as well as the DASH diet...

20/10/2026

If you have high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease, your sleep matters even more than you might think.

Research from the Journal of the American Heart Association found that adults with these conditions who slept under six hours a night had more than double the risk of death compared with those sleeping six hours or more. Interestingly, short sleep did not carry the same added risk in people without those conditions. It was the combination that mattered.

It's not just about hours. Waking during the night or taking a long time to fall asleep has been linked to higher blood pressure, even when total sleep time looks adequate.

A few things you can start tonight:

1. Set a bedtime alarm to begin winding down 45 to 60 minutes before bed
2. Keep a consistent sleep and wake time, including weekends
3. Get bright light early in the day
4. Make your bedroom properly dark
5. Finish caffeine by early afternoon
6. Do not ignore snoring or pauses in breathing

If you struggle to sleep, there is usually a root cause worth findisuspect a rootblood sugar swings, stress hormone patterns, gut health, or sleep apnoea.

www.wavefunctiosleep apnealog/short-sleep-and-chronic-disease-why-under-six-hours-raises-the-stakes

Please speak with your doctor before changing any medication.

Sleeping under six hours is linked to a higher risk of death in people with high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease. See what the research shows.

16/10/2026

Good news if 10,000 steps a day has always felt out of reach! 👟 A new statement from the American College of Cardiology says even small increases in activity can make a real difference to heart health, especially if you're starting from not much at all. About 5,000 to 7,000 steps a day is linked to meaningful benefits for many adults, and adding strength work helps, too. The best plan is the one you can actually stick with. Want help working out what that looks like for you?

Exercise should be prescribed as a foundational component of cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention and treatment, according to a new American College of Cardiology Scientific Statement published today in JACC, its flagship journal.

15/10/2026

Could your gut bacteria affect your hormones? 🦠 A new 12-week trial in women with PCOS (now being renamed PMOS) found that adding a heat-treated form of the gut bacterium Akkermansia improved metabolic, hormonal and gut markers compared with placebo. It's one early study, but it's another sign that the gut and hormones are closely linked. If you're navigating PCOS and want a whole-picture approach, book a free discovery call with us

Maypro's AKK Probio was shown to improve a wide range of biomarkers after 12 weeks over placebo, with both groups also receiving standardized therapy.

14/10/2026

Have you ever been told your symptoms are "just stress"?

A new UK study of more than 6,600 people found that women's autoimmune symptoms were far more likely to be put down to psychological causes than men's (43% versus 33%), and that women often waited one to two years for a diagnosis.

Your symptoms are real, and you deserve to be heard. At Wave Functional Health, we take the time to understand your whole story.

If this sounds familiar, book a free discovery call with us.

Cambridge University study suggests stark gender divide in misdiagnosis, with women also waiting longer for treatment

13/10/2026

Can a simple dietary fibre help the gut defend itself against C. difficile?

New research suggests fibre-based inulin may improve resistance to C. difficile in people with ulcerative colitis, a group that’s already more vulnerable to this infection.

It’s another reminder that what we feed our gut bacteria matters. Fibre isn’t just bulk. It’s fuel for the microbes that help keep pathogens in check.

If you live with UC, don’t add or change fibre on your own. Tolerance varies a lot during flares, so it’s worth working through with your care team.

Read the full story:

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The prebiotic inulin increased resistance to colonization with Clostridioides difficile in f***l microbiome samples from patients with ulcerative colitis, according to data presented at ACG Annual Scientific Meeting. “UC flares are frequently accompanied by enteric infections,...

21/09/2026

Did you know there are thyroid tests beyond the standard TSH panel that can catch problems years before they show up?

TSH, T4, and T3 tell you how your thyroid is functioning right now. Thyroid antibody tests tell you something different: whether your immune system is attacking your thyroid. And antibodies can rise long before hormone levels change, which means this kind of testing can flag issues early.

Here's the connection most people miss: your gut plays a huge role in this. Gut inflammation and imbalanced gut bacteria can trigger immune activation, block absorption of key thyroid nutrients (iodine, iron, selenium, zinc, copper, vitamin D), and even interfere with converting thyroid hormone into its active form.

The takeaway? Thyroid health isn't just about the thyroid. Gut health, nutrition, and immune function all play a part, and looking at the full picture (not just one test) is what actually helps.

21/09/2026

Did you know a simple blood panel can predict your biological age — and your risk of chronic disease — with 90% accuracy? 🩸

Your chronological age is fixed. Your biological age is not.

In my new blog post, I unpack the nine biomarkers (things like fasting glucose, inflammation markers, kidney and liver function) that reveal how well your body is really ageing — and what you can actually do about it.

Read it here:

Chronological age tells you how many birthdays you have had. Biological age tells you how well your body is actually functioning. Dr Matt le Roux at Wave Functional Health Gold Coast explains the nine biomarkers that predict mortality, cognitive decline, and chronic disease with remarkable accuracy.

07/09/2026

Small changes can make a measurable difference.

A study involving 70 adults examined what happened when people were given a personalised plan based on their health history, lifestyle risks and blood-test results—along with regular coaching and follow-up.

The researchers reported that:

✅ 90% improved multiple chronic-disease biomarkers
✅ 94% reduced their overall health-risk score
✅ Average HbA1c decreased from 5.87% to 5.17%
✅ Fasting insulin and several inflammatory markers improved
✅ 80% of those who wanted to lose weight reported doing so

Importantly, this wasn’t simply about prescribing the same diet to everyone.

Participants made gradual, achievable changes involving nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress, hydration, oral health and nutrient intake. Their plans were then adjusted according to their progress and individual needs.

This is an important part of the functional medicine approach: identify the factors contributing to poor health, measure them where possible, and help the patient make sustainable changes before those risks progress further.

The study was small and did not include a control group, so we shouldn’t treat it as definitive proof. However, it offers an encouraging reminder that personalised lifestyle support can produce changes that people feel—and that we can measure.

Study: Lewis TJ, Huang JH, Trempe C. Cureus. 2020.
https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.10039