Tristan is a vegan with a healthy diet who avoids the sun and looks after his skin – but says attitude is what really matters
Neil Shaw Assistant Editor
09:54, 07 Apr 2025
A vegan wellness coach claims he gets ID’d when buying lottery tickets and is mistaken for his friend’s son – but says he is 53-years-old. Tristan Lee says he has always eaten a healthy vegan diet and has taken care of his skin and maintained a “playful and optimistic mindset”.
The health and wellness coach said as a result he looks less than half his age. Tristan says he still gets ID’d buying lottery tickets, and doctors want proof of identity at appointments or when he collects prescriptions. Tristan says when he visits the pub with his friends in their mid-fifties, he “sticks out like a sore thumb” – and people assume he’s one of their sons.
But Tristan insists he’s had no invasive cosmetic surgery – only Botox injections. He claims his youthful looks are down to avoiding processed food, being active, and staying positive. Tristan, from Chigwell, Essex, said: “I don’t do anything specific to stay looking young – I just look after myself because I want to stay healthy.
“I’ve always taken care of my body and I avoid processed food, but I don’t count calories or anything like that. I still get asked for ID when buying lottery tickets – and even when picking up prescriptions.
“It was still happening in my 30s, then my 40s, and now my 50s – I always wonder how much longer it can go on. Have I swallowed some kind of elixir of youth? I think it’s partly my youthful vibe – I am friendly and warm and optimistic, and I think your energy shows on your face.”
Tristan said ever since he hit 30, he expected he would stop being asked for ID, but that never happened. He has always taken care of his body – seeing a personal trainer twice a week, and doing reformer pilates. He eats a vegan, protein-heavy diet and avoids processed foods – prioritising fruit and vegetables over carbs.
But he said the aim was always to be healthy – rather than to look good as a result. He said: “I’m not trying to look young, but I am interested in being healthy.”
Tristan said he also looks after his skin – always wearing SPF and wearing a wide-brimmed sunhat to cover his face from the sun. But he doesn’t have a miracle product or treatment – and while he occasionally has Botox or a facial, he has never had surgery.
He said: “People want advice for what they should use on their skin – but I just use natural skincare and I’m careful in the sun. With my sunhat on, people laugh and think I look ridiculous, but I’m just protecting my skin.”
He said with every passing birthday, he expects that at some point people will stop asking him for ID – but it’s yet to happen. He says at 53, he is asked to provide proof that he is who he says he is, before he can collect prescriptions.
Tristan said: “It happens at least once a fortnight. The other day I picked up a prescription for some antibiotics and they asked if it was for my dad. And when I went to the hospital for an appointment, they wanted to see my ID – as if they thought I was an imposter.”
And he said when he goes out with his friends people assume he’s one of their sons and “not part of the group”.
He said: “Other people at my age are whinging about their job or having health problems. People say it’s ‘all downhill from here’ – but I’m just doing my best to have a long and healthy life.”
Tristan reckons part of the reason for his youthful appearance is no “elixir of youth”, but the mindset he carries. He said: “I’m chatty and friendly, and I don’t think a lot of people in their 50s are. I don’t take myself too seriously. I think you can look young but not if you give off an old, bitter vibe.
“It’s easy to be cynical and bitter – and people will see that if you go around looking like you’re chewing on a wasp. As you get older, life sh**s on you and it shows on your face – but I want to put out a happy vibe. I’m friendly, and playful and optimistic. I smile and ask people things and show optimism.
“I just don’t take myself too seriously because one day I might stop looking young – and life will go on. Youth is an energy, if you’re warm and friendly, it will show on your face.”