Simple Ways to Boost Longevity
You CAN live a vibrant, long, and joyful life by implementing these simple practices into your everyday life.
Longevity is defined as the length or duration of one’s lifetime or also known as “life expectancy,” and "successful aging." Chronological aging is inevitable, but the goal is to enrich the process and combat age-related pathologies to live a longer, vibrant life. The key to longevity is to build the habits and behaviors that have been proven to prevent disease and enhance vitality and quality of life.
Despite the many advances in medical science and functional medicine, by the year 2050, the population of 85-year-old Americans will triple. It is crucial that longevity research continues to evolve and find ways to increase, improve and enhance the overall quality of life. It is critical to be aware of this and how to boost longevity.
The Problem: Abnormal Aging
Contrary to popular belief and although common, aging is not normal and could be considered a disease. Abnormal aging causes fundamental dysfunctions that lead to the development of chronic diseases; such as, diabetes, renal failure, autoimmunity, dementia, cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, osteoporosis, hormonal imbalances, sarcopenia, and cancer. Aging is not supposed to be this inevitable gradual decline, frailty, or loss of independence.
It is important to note that aging is a process that comes with gradual changes to our organ systems, cells, and DNA, but- successful aging is entirely attainable. As chronological age increases, health status may begin to decline, and older adults typically face a greater risk of illness and chronic disease; however, it is possible to amplify longevity in our later years and have a healthspan (biological age) that is equal to our lifespan (chronological age).
Ways to Boost Longevity
There are many ways to expand lifespan and boost longevity, like cold plunges in glacial lakes in the Rocky Mountains. Longevity research has shown that optimizing overall health from a cellular level and supporting efficient mitochondrial function and intercellular communication, are linked to feeling young and healthy.
Dialing in on nutrition, creating an exercise routine, prioritizing sleep, getting essential vitamins and nutrients, red light therapy, mitigating oxidative stress and inflammation, hot and cold therapies, and healthily managing stress are key ways to support optimal health and increase longevity.
Advanced longevity innovations consist of exosomes, stem cells, hormesis, peptide therapies, hormone replacement therapy, plasmapheresis, and regenerative medicine.
Simple ways to boost longevity that everyone should gain awareness of and practice consistently include knowing your why and purpose, nutrition, exercise, sauna bathing, and relationships and community.
Know Your Why + Purpose
Identify your gifts and passions to find your why and purpose. Finding your way is an essential component for optimal health. A research study showed that people who have a clear sense of purpose- a reason to get up in the morning, lived up to 7 years longer than those who don't have one. Being part of something bigger than yourself, helping others, and being of service is directly correlated with increased life expectancy, and the risk of death goes way up after retirement.
Nutrition
Food is one of the most powerful tools we have to boost longevity and prevent chronic disease; it’s medicine. Food regulates all functions of the body. A whole foods nutrient-dense diet rich in protein, healthy fats, fiber, minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals is the most important intervention for optimal health and longevity.
Adequate protein is essential for building muscle, regulating metabolism, and preventing sarcopenia. Both meat and plant proteins are safe for health and longevity. Healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids maintain cell membranes and help mitochondria repair, renew, and rebuild. Spices like turmeric and ginger are full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.
Avoiding liquid sugar calories, rancid oils, added sugars, and starch, consuming healthy fats, and ensuring optimal nutrient levels have rejuvenating effects on energy, health, and longevity.
Exercise
Exercise is also of one the most powerful tools for achieving optimal health and longevity as it activates longevity switches, initiates DNA repair, and reduces inflammation. Exercise combats all the root causes of aging. It maintains muscle and bone mass, boosts sex drive, optimizes insulin sensitivity, helps control weight, and improves sleep, mental health, and cognitive function.
Exercise also produces brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) that promotes the growth of new brain cells and new neural connections preventing dementia and cognitive decline. Furthermore, exercise enhances immune function and mitochondrial health, boosts detoxification, protects against cardiovascular disease, and regulates hormones.
Simply walking 10 minutes per day can add years to your life, but aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise and 3-4 days of strength training per week to maximize the benefits for longevity.
Sauna Bathing
Saunas boost body temperature, heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure just like exercise, but without movement, and is a simple way to rejuvenate, address the root causes of aging, and activate the production of heat shock proteins (HSP). HSP help clean up damaged and altered proteins and break them down so they do not accumulate in the body, especially the brain, which optimizes internal antioxidant and repair systems.
Sauna bathing improves cardiovascular fitness, skin, insulin sensitivity, blood sugar, heart rate variability, stress hormones, and blood pressure. Going to the sauna helps with weight loss, poor mood, and detoxification of toxins and heavy metals. One of the most effective benefits of sauna bathing is it prevents the buildup of proteins and plaque in the brain, decreasing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, like dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Relationships + Community
Community, love, and compassion are central to life. Connecting with other humans boosts immune function, balances hormones, nourishes the soul, and leads to a happy, fulfilled long life. Strong relationships, social connection, and community are linked to increased life span, better mental health, and improved blood pressure, waist circumference, and body mass index.
Loneliness tremendously increases the risk of death. Thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and emotions are directly correlated to gene expression, hormones, the gut microbiome, mitochondrial function, and neuroplasticity. A deep sense of community is at the cornerstone of longevity and living a vibrant life.
Final Thoughts
The new science of longevity and aging is proving that a long, vibrant life of vitality is possible and treating the root causes of aging can reverse chronic disease. Longevity science has demonstrated potential methods to reprogram our biology back to its thriving state and extend our lifespan. Simple ways to boost longevity that everyone should gain awareness of and practice consistently include knowing your why and purpose, nutrition, exercise, sauna bathing, and relationships and community.
The revolution of functional medicine and longevity science is transforming everything we thought we knew about health, disease, and aging, which is monumental for relieving suffering and treating and reversing chronic diseases, like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, insulin resistance, cancer, and dementia. There are a multitude of ways to boost longevity that in order to reap the benefits of, must become consistent habits and lifestyle practices. It starts with you. Take one step today to support your health and longevity.
Thank you for reading this article.