That being said, there is a general understanding that getting older means developing health complications. Osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, cognitive decline, hearing loss, and decreased stamina are often associated with aging. The question that remains is, is this physical decline inevitable? The answer is not necessarily. When it comes to healthy aging, lifestyle plays a role and although we may not be able to change genetics or random chance – we CAN affect their expression for greater health. This is called, ‘Epigenetics’. Also, a preventive lifestyle can make a big difference.

1 – Lower Your Stress

High levels of stress over prolonged periods of time are dangerous at any age but can be more difficult to recover from as we get older. When we experience stress, the hormone cortisol is released into our system. For instances of short-term stress, this is a good thing, cortisol acts as an internal alarm system and is crucial for keeping us safe. Once the stressful situation has passed, our cortisol level should drop in accordance with our heart rate.

How Stress Makes You Feel Older

Long-term stress often keeps our internal alarm system activated. This wreaks havoc on the body affecting our sleep and recovery time, our energy levels, our mental and emotional acuity. Prolonged stress can lead to:

• weight gain
• insomnia
• migraines
• short-term memory problems
• brain fog
• digestive problems
• inflammation
• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol
• heart disease

Over time, stress can become naturalized in our bodies. We get used to it. We know we’re stressed out but we lose track of the degree, and how long we’ve been experiencing it. Dealing with the consequences of long-term stress just becomes normal. 

Lifestyle Changes That Help

The preventative measures listed below can help minimize your cortisol levels and regain your health:

• an anti-inflammatory diet 
• acupuncture
• time in nature / being outdoors
• regular moderate exercise
• nutrient balancing and supplement support for your adrenals
• weighted blanket

2 – Manage Your Insulin

Insulin may not be something you discuss with your family doctor if you don’t have a diabetes diagnosis, but research tells us that maintaining stable insulin levels is a key to longevity. Meanwhile, insulin resistance due to chronically high insulin has been shown to predict and accelerate the development of age-related diseases including hypertension, coronary heart disease, dementia, stroke, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. A functional, healthy insulin level should be between 2-6 ideally.

Ditch Refined Carbohydrates

When we eat a steady diet of refined carbohydrates and quickly absorbed sugars, our cells slowly become more insulin resistant, requiring more insulin to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. The higher our insulin levels stay, the more resistant our cells become, eventually leading to what is often called metabolic syndrome: A collection of symptoms including fatigue, excess fat around the midsection, increased blood pressure, elevated fasting blood sugar, and increased inflammation throughout the body. 

Insulin Testing

Insulin levels go up long before they develop into issues such as hypoglycemia and prediabetes, and early detection can help change the course of what happens next. Often, we are unaware that our insulin levels have increased and are nearing dangerous levels. Lab testing to determine your levels is important in understanding where you stand now as well as having a measurement to assess your progress.

Lifestyle Changes

The actions needed to prevent and reduce insulin resistance in the early stages are fairly simple: reduce your consumption of refined carbohydrates, eat protein at every meal, and stay active. An Integrative/functional medicine practitioner can help you keep track of your insulin levels and recommend the right supplements for your specific needs.

3 – Keep Your Hormones Balanced

Hormones are messengers that affect everything in our bodies, from our growth and development to reproduction, tissue repair, metabolism, immunity, and inflammation. Keeping our hormones functioning optimally is imperative to staying healthy. As we age, however, our hormone secretion becomes less efficient, which leads to imbalances and changes in the effectiveness of our internal systems. 

Hormones and Aging

This imbalance can lead to a wide variety of health issues such as:

• unexpected weight gain or loss
• dry skin and hair 
• weak nails
• fatigue
• muscle weakness, aches, tenderness, and/or stiffness
• joint pain, stiffness, and/or swelling
• anxiety
• depression
• Brain fog, memory, and more!

Hormone Testing

If you are concerned about your hormone levels, your doctor or I can run tests to check your levels of testosterone, progesterone, estrogen, cortisol and thyroid hormones and determine your current hormonal status as well as a plan to get your hormones balanced if you are in my states of medical licensure.

A Hormone-Friendly Lifestyle

Balancing your hormones through diet and lifestyle habits can make a big difference in your overall health and the aging process. Our suggestions include:

• Eat nutrient-dense foods and healthy fats
• Plenty of sleep every night
• Stress reduction
• Regular moderate exercise
• Supplementation to help support your overall health when needed
  
• If needed, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) likely will help with symptoms – also important for longevity and healthy aging.

4 – Keep Inflammation at Bay

Inflammation is the body’s way of protecting itself. Physical injuries trigger the release of proteins, antibodies and increased blood flow to the area to repair the damage. 

What many people are not aware of is that long-term exposure to irritants and toxins, food sensitivities, autoimmune disorders and even stress can cause an inflammatory response too. When this response continues for more than a few days, it’s considered chronic.

How Chronic Inflammation Ages You

Chronic inflammation is a major component of accelerated aging and a risk factor for developing atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes, strokes, heart attacks, fibromyalgia, arthritis, sinus infections, autoimmune conditions and cancer. 

Testing for Inflammation

Functional medicine testing as well as a few of the traditional tests (if actually ordered, of course by your doctor) can help assess the status of inflammation in your body that may be being overlooked.  Food sensitivity testing can sometimes help get to the root of the problem if you have clinical signs or findings on functional stool testing.

Living an Anti-Inflammatory Lifestyle

Preventive measures for chronic systemic inflammation include:

• Adopting an anti-inflammatory diet
• Reducing stress levels
• Regular exercise
• Ensuring your vitamin D levels are good
• Including anti-inflammatory superfoods into your diet: high quality omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil), astaxanthin, medicinal spices, high quality vitamin E and others.

5 – Keep Moving

And finally, regular physical activity is crucial to aging well. As we get older we start to lose bone density and muscle mass which impacts not only our physical strength but more importantly our stability, bone strength, and immune system. Keeping active and flexible throughout all stages of life allows us to stay healthy and remain independent in our later years. 

Choose Activities that Suit You

Regular activity doesn’t have to mean team sports (although there is no harm in that.) Find a form of exercise that suits your lifestyle and level of fitness, and stick to it: Taking a walk, a Yoga or Pilates practice, swimming or cycling are all great lifelong habits. Make sure to include an element of weight resistance that helps strengthen your bones and joints as well as improve heart health.

Getting Your Body Some Help

Although aging isn’t a choice, aging well is. There is a lot you can do to optimize your version of the aging process by identifying problem areas and adopting a preventive lifestyle. It’s never too late to make a difference.

Working with a Functional Medicine practitioner is a great place to start. Together we can run labs to identify and target your specific imbalances and begin your path to better long-term health.

You can learn more by visiting my website at: https://valenciaray.com

Here’s to Greater Vibrance and Vitality!

References

Akintola AA, van Heemst D. Insulin, aging, and the brain: mechanisms and implications. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2015;6:13. Published 2015 Feb 6. doi:10.3389/fendo.2015.00013

Chung HY, Kim DH, Lee EK, et al. Redefining Chronic Inflammation in Aging and Age-Related Diseases: Proposal of the Senoinflammation Concept. Aging Dis. 2019;10(2):367-382. Published 2019 Apr 1. doi:10.14336/AD.2018.0324

Ferrucci L, Fabbri E. Inflammageing: chronic inflammation in ageing, cardiovascular disease, and frailty. Nat Rev Cardiol. 2018;15(9):505-522. doi:10.1038/s41569-018-0064-2

Graham JE, Christian LM, Kiecolt-Glaser JK. Stress, age, and immune function: toward a lifespan approach. J Behav Med. 2006;29(4):389-400. doi:10.1007/s10865-006-9057-4

Hiller-Sturmhöfel S, Bartke A. The endocrine system: an overview. Alcohol Health Res World. 1998;22(3):153-164.

Lakhan SE, Vieira KF. Nutritional and herbal supplements for anxiety and anxiety-related disorders: systematic review. Nutr J. 2010;9:42. Published 2010 Oct 7. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-9-42

McMurdo ME. A healthy old age: realistic or futile goal?. BMJ. 2000;321(7269):1149-1151. doi:10.1136/bmj.321.7269.1149

Ranabir S, Reetu K. Stress and hormones. Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2011;15(1):18-22. doi:10.4103/2230-8210.77573

Schwarz NA, Rigby BR, La Bounty P, Shelmadine B, Bowden RG. A review of weight control strategies and their effects on the regulation of hormonal balance. J Nutr Metab. 2011;2011:237932. doi:10.1155/2011/237932

Swarup S, Goyal A, Grigorova Y, et al. Metabolic Syndrome. [Updated 2020 Nov 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459248/

Thau L, Gandhi J, Sharma S. Physiology, Cortisol. [Updated 2021 Feb 9]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan.

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Thankfully, evidence suggests there are a finite number of ways to influence aging. This means we’re not doomed by our genes, nor can we rely solely on our genes to carry us through long and healthy lives all the way into our 90’s. We can, however, do certain things to increase our chances of getting there. So, let’s get down to the conditions for living a long and healthy life. After all, what good is living a long life if we’re not disease and disability-free in old age? That’s the goal!

Why Do We Age?

There are many compelling theories on the subject of how and why we age dating back to antiquity. Some ancient philosophers believed in a version of the “rate of living” theory, which suggests each person possesses a mysterious “vital substance” that keeps them alive. This elusive life-giving ingredient was thought of as a predetermined, finite amount of heartbeats and breaths awarded to each person at birth to last throughout their lifetime. Luckily for us, this isn’t the case! However, the mystery of exactly how and why we age has yet to be fully solved.

Aging Occurs At The Cellular Level

One modern theory is the cross-linking/glycation hypothesis. As we age, the mobility and elasticity of structural molecules and proteins in our cells are impaired because of a cellular process called “cross-linking.”

Cross-linking occurs when cells form inappropriate attachments to one another, impairing the proteins’ functions, the same chemical process that causes food to turn brown when cooked.

Free Radicals

Evidence also suggests aging can be caused by free radicals causing oxidative damage to cells. Free radicals are the toxic byproducts of normal cellular metabolism. This creates a vicious cycle in which free radicals cause oxidative damage to cells, which in turn produces more free radicals. This unavoidable side effect of cell production leads to cell death, the result of which are the signs of aging.

Stress Is The Killer

All of the most compelling modern theories on aging point to cellular damage as the main cause for the deterioration of our bodies as we grow older. Both physical and emotional stress cause free radicals, oxidation, and damage to DNA – all factors that cause cell death and aging. Stress has the power to lower our immune system, increase inflammation, and destroy the brain cells that are responsible for memory.  This is because when we’re chronically stressed our bodies produce cortisol, a hormone directly linked to causing cell damage.

This is why if negative news ‘stresses you out’ – perhaps you should consider turning it off. There seems to be a tendency for excessive focus on negative news these days, so perhaps for the sake of your health – avoid it. You have the power to stop watching it if it isn’t serving your highest good.

It only makes sense that finding ways to lower stress is the best overall anti-aging remedy. Besides, why all the concern with living a long time if we’re always stressed out beyond belief? Incorporating stress-reducing tools day to day increases our quality of life, and that’s a top priority!

Physical And Psychological Stress

Both environmental, as well as lifestyle choices, can impact stress levels in the body. Heavy metals from polluted water, EMFs, chemicals, alcohol, cigarettes, and poor diet all contribute to the production of cortisol which means more stress.

People who suffer from chronic stress, depression, anxiety, trauma, and social isolation have similar damage in common at the cellular level. Studies show that stress shortens the length of a part of cells called telomeres. Shortened telomeres are a leading cause of cell death and aging.

The good news is we have some control over how we deal with stress. All we need is the awareness and the willingness to confront stress, and the right tools available to help us do so.

Holistic Stress Reducers

Living a stress-free lifestyle is the key to a long, happy, healthy life. The challenge, should we choose to accept it, is committing ourselves to reducing stress in our lives. After all, we can’t show up for life effectively if our minds are always clouded by stress. So, what are some tools we can use to manage and eliminate stress, one day at a time?

• Meditation has been proven to reduce stress by creating new neurological pathways in the brain. This makes new thoughts possible and helps shake us out of old habits. Taking a moment to quiet the endless stream of thoughts running through our minds allows us to take a piece of that tranquility with us throughout the rest of the day. Meditation makes a world of difference and doesn’t have to be intimidating! Even taking 5 to 10 minutes to center yourself before starting your day can be life changing.
• Healthy diet. Eating a healthy diet full of fresh organic vegetables, whole grains, and nutrient-rich proteins is key to longevity. Eliminating sugar and processed foods is a must for anyone concerned with living long and well.
• Physical activity. Implementing an exercise routine is essential to mental and physical wellness. Physical activity releases powerful stress-reducing endorphins in the brain. Yoga is especially helpful, as it combines meditation with exercise, naturally relaxing the body and mind.
• Good sleep. Sleep facilitates the function of the lymphatic system, which can be thought of as the brain’s garbage disposer. While we’re asleep, the brain works 10 times as hard to remove toxins, like the protein build-up responsible for Alzheimer’s disease.
• Limiting exposure to toxins. The effects of environmental toxins such as polluted water and poor air quality can seriously impact longevity over time. It’s been proven that people who live in places with cleaner air and access to fresh, clean water are known to live longer. Avoiding toxic materials, such as using plastic for food storage, is an easy way to start reducing toxicity in the body. Obtain a quality air purifier, water purifying system (I prefer one that attaches to the house water-main system for the whole house) and read your product labels carefully!
• Purposeful living. Living a purposeful life is the most important thing we can do to extend our longevity. One thing centenarians all have in common is feeling they have lived a life worth living. Studies show that people who live with a greater sense of purpose experience better quality sleep along with receiving the regenerative benefits of being well-rested.
• Practicing an attitude of gratitude is one way to ensure we live long and prosper.

A Note on Blue Zones

The places on earth with the greatest longevity are known as “Blue Zones,” and people who live there all have some major things in common. They tend to live with a greater sense of purpose and value healthy eating, exercise, and maintaining positive relationships with themselves and others. Hint: Constantly judging and trying to control the thinking of those around you creates strife, stress and is not conducive to a healthy lifestyle!

Japan is the country with the greatest longevity on the planet, one out of fifteen hundred Japanese citizens are over one hundred years old!

The answer is in the culture. Obesity rates are low, as the common Japanese diet consists mainly of plant food, fish, and non-sugar sweetened beverages. The Japanese value purposeful living and meditation is a regular practice among common people. Managing stress and living with purpose are the most important things we can do to increase longevity. The Japanese culture supports both, and the proof is in the population.

You Only Live Once!

As far as we know, this is our one and only life in this unique form that we are. It’s up to the individual to tend their own garden by implementing life-affirming, longevity-boosting lifestyles to ensure this life is meaningful, enjoyable, and lasts a good long time!

The good news is we’re definitely not alone on the journey. If you’re curious about ways to increase your longevity and overall quality of life, give us a call. We can help!

Sources:

Goyal M, Singh S, Sibinga EM, Gould NF, Rowland-Seymour A, Sharma R, Berger Z, Sleicher D, Maron DD, Shihab HM, Ranasinghe PD, Linn S, Saha S, Bass EB, Haythornthwaite JA. Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Intern Med. 2014 Mar;174(3):357-68. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.13018. PMID: 24395196; PMCID: PMC4142584.

Schultchen D, Reichenberger J, Mittl T, Weh TRM, Smyth JM, Blechert J, Pollatos O. Bidirectional relationship of stress and affect with physical activity and healthy eating. Br J Health Psychol. 2019 May;24(2):315-333. doi: 10.1111/bjhp.12355. Epub 2019 Jan 22. PMID: 30672069; PMCID: PMC6767465.

Tsugane, S. Why has Japan become the world’s most long-lived country: insights from a food and nutrition perspective. Eur J Clin Nutr (2020).

Alimujiang A, Wiensch A, Boss J, et al. Association Between Life Purpose and Mortality Among US Adults Older Than 50 Years. JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(5):e194270. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.4270

Diggs J. (2008) The Cross‐Linkage Theory of Aging. In: Loue S.J., Sajatovic M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Aging and Public Health. Springer, Boston, MA.

Lints FA. The rate of living theory revisited. Gerontology. 1989;35(1):36-57. doi: 10.1159/000212998. PMID: 2656413.

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