What we eat, how we move, how we sleep, and how we manage stress all affect our metabolism and how we age.
We all want to live a long and healthy life. To live out our years enjoying the things we love, spending time with friends and family, and enjoying the beauty of the world around us. We all want longevity. But what can we do to increase longevity and what should we do when we start to experience those telltale signs of aging?
Longevity is the length or duration of life. The longer and healthier, the better.
Genetics does play a role in longevity, but it is not the only thing that matters. There are some genes associated with longevity, sirtuins, and FOXO for example. Different variants of these genes are associated with longer life. We all know a family where many live into their 90s and we all know a family where many pass away in their 60s. This is evidence of genetics playing a role in longevity. However, genetics is not the only thing that matters, lifestyle influences longevity genes as well.
Two factors influence longevity genes, which genes you are born with and which genes are expressed. While you cannot control which genes you are born with, you can control how they are expressed. Your lifestyle, what you eat, how you move, how you sleep, and how you manage stress all influence which genes are expressed, and how you age. You can design a lifestyle to support your longevity genes, slow the aging process, and live longer.
A lifestyle that increases longevity starts with a healthy metabolism. Did you know that many of the telltale signs of aging start with your metabolism? It’s true. Many of the signs of aging either begin with problems in metabolism or exasperate issues with metabolism, further accelerating the aging process. Which is good news, this means you can do something about it. What you eat, how you move, how you sleep, and how you manage stress, all affect your metabolism, the aging process, and longevity genes.
The first step in designing a lifestyle to increase longevity is to understand the signs of aging. Once you understand the signs, you can start to make lifestyle changes to slow aging and increase longevity.
DNA damage is a part of life. The good things (delicious food) and the bad things (stress) all cause damage to our DNA. As we age, this DNA damage accumulates and can alter our metabolism and mitochondria function (Shimizu et al. 2014). However, there are many things we can do to slow DNA damage, helping us live healthier, longer.
At the end of all our chromosomes sit telomeres, protecting our DNA from damage. As we age, our telomeres shorten. If our telomeres get too short, it can lead to cellular senescence, another hallmark of aging. Furthermore, telomere shortening can reduce both mitochondria biogenesis and function. While telomere shortening is inevitable, an anti-inflammatory diet can slow the process (García-Calzón et al. 2015).
Our lifestyle, what we eat, how we move, how we sleep, and how we manage stress all affect the epigenome. The epigenome consists of structures that sit on our DNA. These structures determine which genes are on and which genes are off. Our lifestyle alters the epigenome and can either accelerate aging or slow it down (Benayoun et al. 2015). However, it’s never too late to change your epigenome.
Our cells and our body are all made up of proteins that have specific roles and responsibilities. If our body’s proteins are not functioning correctly or are not broken-down properly, we can have big problems.
Aging takes a one-two hit on our body’s proteins. As we age, the activity of molecules that are responsible for ensuring correct protein folding and functioning declines, leading to an increase in dysfunctional proteins (Labbadia and Morimoto 2015). To further exasperate the problem, autophagy, the process by which damaged proteins are broken down and recycled also declines. However, there is good news. Caloric restriction and fasting can both increase autophagy.
As we age, the way our body senses nutrients changes. Type 2 diabetes is an extreme example of this where the body no longer processes sugar effectively. When we eat, our body is continuously sensing how much energy and what type of nutrients are available; this triggers a whole slew of genes and signaling pathways. The insulin-IGF1 signaling pathway, FOXO, mTOR, AMPK, and sirtuins are all linked to longevity and are all affected by nutrient signaling (Efeyan et al. 2015).
Mitochondria are important signaling organelles that also provide energy to the cell. They keep our body energized and our mind sharp. As we age, our mitochondria become fewer and don’t function as well. Furthermore, dysfunctional mitochondria increase the production of reactive oxygen species, leading to DNA damage and inflammation, further accelerating the aging process (Wang and Hekimi 2015). However, you can do something about it. You can increase both the quantity and function of your mitochondria with exercise and the right nutrients. For a complete program to optimize your mitochondria, check out my Body, Mind, Goal program. It provides meal plans, exercise programs, and lifestyle changes to optimize your mitochondria in just 30 days.
Cellular senescence is when your cells permanently stop dividing. This process can lead to aging and age-related diseases. Furthermore, eliminating senescent cells can reduce the age-related deterioration of organs and tissues (Baker et al. 2016). While cellular senescence is a normal part of life, there are things you can do to minimize it. Mitochondria dysfunction can increase cellular senescence, so keeping your mitochondria healthy can help keep your whole body healthy while increasing longevity.
Stem cells are cells that generate other specialized cells. They help your body repair itself. As we age, the number of stem cells we have decreases hindering the repair process, further accelerating aging. What we eat can either support a healthy supply of stem cells or impede it.
Reactive oxygen species, excessive mTOR signaling (Castilho et al. 2009), defects in FOXO, and inflammation can all reduce stem cell numbers (Shyh-Chang et al. 2013). All four of these respond to what we eat. Keep reading to find out what to eat to support healthy stem cells.
All of your cells are connected. What happens in one cell can affect what happens in all the surrounding cells and throughout the body. Inflammation, circadian rhythms, the gut microbiome, and signaling molecules, such as hormones, all send messages to cells throughout the body. Your cells must understand and respond to this communication appropriately to keep the body running smoothly. As we age, this communication tends to breakdown, which can lead to metabolic disturbances such as insulin resistance.
To increase longevity, we need to design a lifestyle that slows or reduces these nine signs of aging. Our tools include what we eat, how we move, how we sleep, and how we manage stress.
What we eat, how we move, how we sleep, and how we manage stress all affect our metabolism and how we age. Give yourself the best possible chance to live a long and healthy life by making these simple lifestyle changes.
Caloric restriction increases autophagy, supports stem cell activity, has anti-inflammatory effects, activates BDNF, which stimulates neurogenesis, and positively affects circadian rhythms, helping you sleep better (Galluzzi et al. 2015). There are two ways to restrict calories, limit the amount you eat throughout the day or limit the amount of time you eat throughout the day. Try eating in an 8-hour window and fasting for 16 hours. The sacrifice will be worth it.
Few things are more tightly linked to aging than chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation accelerates several hallmarks of aging, including increasing DNA damage, shortening telomeres, reducing stem cells, and breaking down cell communication (Liu et al. 2012). The best way to fight back? Load up your diet with lots of anti-inflammatory nutrients found in fruits and vegetables. Click here for some of my favorite anti-inflammatory recipes including healthy, anti-inflammatory takes on your favorite takeout dishes.
Limiting protein can decrease IGF-1 signaling, promote neurogenesis, and improve cognitive performance (Levine et al. 2014). Furthermore, simply restricting protein may be easier than overall calorie restriction, plus you get many of the same benefits. While you need some protein to maintain overall health, limiting your intake one or two days a week can positively affect longevity.
The list of exercise benefits for longevity goes on and on. Exercise stimulates autophagy. It improves mitochondria quantity and function. It activates genes involved in longevity (Neufer et al. 2015). There are not many things you can do that are more beneficial to your health and longevity than regular exercise. Short on time? No problem. Studies show that this exercise can boost results in less time.
Sleep is often an underrated contributor to accelerated aging. Disrupted, irregular, or poor quality sleep can alter your circadian rhythm affecting communication between cells. Try to fall asleep and wake up at the same time every day. Limit caffeine intake after 2 pm. Keep your bedroom slightly cold and avoid eating large meals right before bed. These practices will help ensure quality, restorative sleep night after night.
Three of the best anti aging supplements are curcumin, resveratrol, and omega-3 fatty acid. To slow aging, we need to slow or reverse the nine signs of aging discussed earlier. Curcumin, an antioxidant found in Turmeric has potent anti-inflammatory properties. Reducing inflammation will slow the shortening of telomeres, support healthy stem cells, and help keep cell to cell communication strong. Plus, research shows that curcumin can protect against Alzheimer’s Disease and cancer, two major diseases of aging.
Resveratrol, the antioxidant famously found in red wine is a potent longevity supplement. It can increase both the number and function of our mitochondria. Healthier mitochondria mean less DNA damage, better functioning mitochondria, and less cellular senescence. In addition to helping our mitochondria function better, resveratrol can also active longevity genes called sirtuins.
Omega-3 fatty acids are typically found in fatty fish like wild salmon. They can both reduce inflammation and support mitochondria function. Positively affecting nearly every one of the nine signs of aging.
When stress activates the nervous system, NF-kB is activated. NF-kB is a transcription factor that activates a cascade of events that increases inflammation. Increased inflammation plays a role in many of the signs of aging. It reduces longevity accelerates aging along increasing the risk of many diseases including cancer and cardiovascular disease. Stress management practices such as yoga and meditation can stop this process, reduce NF-kB activation, and reduce inflammation (Liang et al. 2004).
Just as caloric restriction can help you live longer, overeating can make you age faster. Overeating leads to inflammation, insulin resistance, problems with the gut microbiome, and alterations to the immune system (Kraus et al. 2014). Enjoy your food, but stop when you feel 80% full. Give your brain some time to catch up with your stomach.
Overheating your food can cause advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) to form. These are just as nasty as they sound. They can accelerate cognitive decline along with the development of metabolic syndrome (Cai et al. 2014). Try steaming, baking, or eating your food raw to limit exposure to AGEs.
Trans-fats, found in margarine and processed cooking oils, are not well handled by the body. Furthermore, their consumption can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Gebauer et al. 2015). Avoid trans-fats by limiting processed food and always read your labels.
Fructose found in high fructose corn syrup like that in soda increases both visceral fat and risk of metabolic syndrome. Fat stored around your vital organs is visceral fat. It can increase your risk of insulin resistance, stroke, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s Disease (Malik and Hu 2015). The best solution is to avoid the stuff altogether. Try sparkling water or unsweetened ice tea instead.
Emulsifiers and additives are added to food to increase shelf-life and create a more appealing texture. They can alter your gut microbiome, increase inflammation, and increase the risk of metabolic syndrome (Chassaing et al. 2015). The best way to avoid emulsifiers and additives is to eat things as close to possible in their natural state as possible and to read food labels. Common emulsifiers and additives to look for and avoid are carrageenan, Polysorbate-80, carboxymethylcellulose, mono- and diglycerides, polysorbates, and, guar gum.
Smoking increases inflammation, increases DNA damage, shortens telomeres, increases mitochondria dysfunction, and increases cellular senescence (Astuti et al. 2017). Just quit.
Kettlebell Workout Beginner New to working out or just looking to spice up your routine?…
10-Minute Full Body Workout For Home Short on time? Don't have equipment? Want to get…
Cardio Workout HIIT What is a cardio workout HIIT? High intensity interval training or HIIT…
At Home Workouts For Weight Loss You don't need a gym membership to lose weight.…
Home Workout for Women A good home workout for women will boost cardiovascular capacity while…
Ab Workout Easy + Lower Body Workout Rock hard abs along with sculpted legs and…