If you had have asked me this question last week, I’d have said “Of course!”
Aging is just a natural part of life, it’s like a law or something unchangeable, everyone has to age.
And in fact, I’m ok with that.
I don’t really want to live forever.
But I do want to live healthy as long as possible.
I want a long health span, not just a long life span.
And the newest research in aging is showing how we can have both.
There’s a whole wing of science dedicated to health and lifespan that’s challenging our thinking around aging.
They’re saying that maybe aging isn’t a given.
Amongst other scientists, David Sinclair of Harvard University is researching aging, it’s causes and solutions. (Click on the link to check out his new book Lifespan… I’m in the middle of it myself!)
I just heard him on the podcast “Bulletproof Radio” with Dave Asprey, and he was explaining aging more like a disease than an inevitable fact of life.
But because age isn’t considered a treatable condition, there aren’t any medications to treat or prevent it.
However, he believes that if we treated aging as a treatable condition, we’d do a much better job of reducing all the major diseases like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
Because the biggest risk factor for all these conditions is age… By a mile.
And if we could keep our cells younger, we’d at least prolong our health spans, and maybe even our life spans.
This idea of aging being a treatable disease, just blew me over!
I’d never thought of aging as something to treat before.
In fact, I’ve been of the mindset that aging is natural, it happens to everyone, no matter what.
But at the same time, I’m also very aware that we don’t all age at the same rate.
40 doesn’t look the same on everyone.
Neither does 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, or beyond.
I know plenty of people in their 50s that are more active, stronger, and have better endurance today than they did in their 20s.
And I know 40 year-olds who are slumped forward, have arthritis and heart issues, and look more like I’d expect a 70 year-old to look than a 40 year-old.
So, to some extent I’ve known that aging itself isn’t finite.
And that just because you’re older, doesn’t mean you’re unhealthy, diseased, or out of shape.
Your number of years on the planet doesn’t dictate your health.
So aging isn’t only due to your genes.
It’s also a product of your daily habits.
You have a lot of say in how you age by choosing what and how you eat, what and how you exercise, and how much you relax and sleep.
And when David Sinclair was asked what he believes are the most important things you can do to increase your health and life span, here are the top things he mentioned:
1. Keep your blood glucose low and stable
Studies are showing that blood glucose is the most significant factor for life span.
The higher your blood glucose, the shorter your life may be.
If you’re already pre-diabetic or diabetic you may already be taking metformin to control your blood sugar, which is kind of a miracle drug for those with diabetes.
And studies are showing that metformin, by decreasing blood sugar, also tends to decrease your risk for heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s too.
Now, if you’re not pre-diabetic or diabetic, you don’t need metformin to keep your blood sugar low.
Instead, eating foods and drinking less sugar, fasting intermittently, and regular, semi-intense exercise can all help keep your glucose stable, while lowering your risk for disease.
(BTW… the links are to previous blog posts that have more info for you.)
2. Keep your inflammation in check
The next thing you can do is keep an eye on your markers for inflammation.
You can see inflammation on the outside, when you get hurt, because that’s the body’s response to repairing what’s injured.
However, consistent inflammation within the body is not a good thing, and you’re likely not aware of it.
A regular blood test, that measures your hCRP and white blood cell count will give you this info.
Again, to keep these markers under control, it’s healthy eating, especially more veggies and fruit, and consistent, regular exercise.
But more isn’t always better…
If you exercise irregularly, or if you do a lot of long intense workouts, your inflammation can actually increase, and your immune system may be compromised.
3. Supplement
There are some supplements that have shown to be safe and effective at keeping your cells healthy, and slowing down aging.
Resveratrol, usually taken in the form of grape seed or grape peel extract, is a safe supplement to take that’s been shown to lower inflammation and reduce mitochondrial decay (the mitochondria are the parts of your cells that generate energy).
You probably heard about resveratrol several years ago, when word quickly spread that red wine contains resveratrol, so hence drinking red wine should keep you young.
Unfortunately, that’s not really the case.
Drinking more red wine will affect your liver, and keeping your liver healthy is one of the most important things you can do for a healthier, longer life, according to Dr. Sinclair.
Another healthy aging supplement is NR (nicotinamide riboside.)
It’s relatively new but more potent than resveratrol for keeping your mitochondria young and healthy.
Finally, there’s Vitamin D which helps control inflammation, keeps your mood up, and of course, helps keeps your bones strong. So get outside in the warm months, and supplement in the winter.
Other than Vitamin D, I don’t yet take these supplements, but please educate yourself about them and discuss them with your health care provider.
4. Know your own body
Now, all this being said, in the world as it is today, we do age.
But there’s so much we can do about HOW we age.
And the first thing, above all else, is know your body.
Experiment to see what makes you feel good, what doesn’t, and do more of what does and less of what doesn’t.
No one, not even your doctor, knows your body, or cares about your body like you do.
You’re the authority.
We give a lot of power to others to determine our state of health.
But truly, you’re the expert.
And don’t forget that.
Educate yourself, try things, write things down, and get help from professionals when you know things are off.
Ultimately, we’re all getting older.
But it’s good to know we can get older and that doesn’t have to equate to a loss of health and wellness.
The fact is that because of science, we know a whole lot more about staying healthier longer, and that’s super interesting and exciting to me.
Because things definitely don’t have to go down-hill when you’re considered “over-the-hill.”
You can make choices today that can literally change how the rest of your life plays out.
Keep moving forward my friend,
Debbie
P.S. It’s almost fall, and that means Coaching and Classes are starting, and there’s still time to get in on the fun!
And as always, if you have any questions or want more info, just check out the links or contact me at debbie@momentum-fit.ca.