We all have to face the inevitable fact that our bodies and minds, short of a miracle, will age. But what if we could slow down the process? What if we could actually reverse certain aspects of aging? What if our biological age did NOT have to follow our chronological age? The obsession with vitality is only one which has captivated and obsessed millions throughout the years. And thanks to the minds of great scientists and researchers, a lot more is known today about the process of aging and it has become apparent that we do have a certain amount of control when it comes to how fast we age, how old we live and how healthy we are during that span. Although I do not consider myself ”old”, I can clearly see that past the age of 30, things started to slowly decline. But why do some seem to decline so much faster than others and why and do some appear to maintain their 30 yr old physique well into their 50’s? Why do some 80 yr old appear to be as sharp cognitively as they were in their 30’s. As you will see, ”success” always leaves clues and the world of anti-again now has some powerful data that can significantly help us battle this disease and point us in exciting new directions.
In my research on antiaging, my OCD and passion for learning lead me down an unbelievable path filled with scientific studies, literature, videos, conferences, trends, theories, lab studies, bio hackers and real life people who are showing us the way. Living examples of how we can age gracefully and also thrive in our elder years. Examples of how we can still enjoy many of the activities we did in our twenties and thirties and not look like awkward idiots doing them. ?
There have been are many theories of aging throughout the years and from what I have found, it is such a complex process that it must be observed/treated as a systemic process. Our bodies are highly sophisticated complex interactive systems with communication pathways that are still not fully understood. With this in mind, a shotgun approach to aging would not only be the safest but most logical approach in our pursuit of the optimal health span.
Why do we age?
The simplest definition for those who do not have a scientific background is that our cells which make up the tissues in our bodies eventually get old and tired. They stop functioning efficiently, they stop creating as much energy, they make mistakes and some of the cells supposed to correct these mistakes also get tired so the errors at some point grow exponentially. When these mistakes are too high, things start to malfunction, diseases have the opportunity to set in, communication between the cells breakdown, our repair mechanism breakdown and we become old. The process is further compounded by the fact that this leads to lower levels of activity which further accelerates aging since physical activity activates pathways that slow down the aging process. As our bodies age, certain hormones that are bio markers for youthfulness also decrease and this also impacts the aging process. Further compounding the process is the loss of muscle mass, decreased ability of the digestive systems, lower nutrient absorption, less efficient detoxification and increased inflammation. If our bodies were a car, we could say that the tires become flat, the wind shied cracks, the AC stops working, we start to loose oil, mpg average goes down, the transmission struggles to shift gears, the engine rev’s too high, there is too much friction on the pistons causing overheating and the computer dashboard is malfunctioning so the check engine light won’t even light up. So to fight aging, we must figure out, why the tires are not keeping their air, why the oil pan started to leak, why all the mechanics are failing and why we often ony find our when it is often too late. As with all diseases, preventative measures always work best so it is probably a great idea to start using anti-aging strategies as early as possible. Regular check-ups and maintenance will prolong your health span as it would prolong the lifespan of your vehicle.
As you can see, aging is multifaceted and interrelated
Of course, how we live, our level of activity, our exposure to toxins/chemicals, our genes, our diets, lifestyles, mindset, environment come into play as our bodies are constantly in reaction mode to these factors/stressors. The good news is that in many cases we can control these factors and we can even change the way our genes express themselves through diets/habits. This means that we are not ”destined” or necessarily predisposed to certain diseases as we once thought. We can, through dietary habits and lifestyles change our gene expressions and sidestep certain age related diseases. What’s even more exciting now is that science is able to test for many of these genes and aging biomarkers. We essentially have the opportunity to go a step beyond the ”check engine” light and prevent/slow down some of the aging pathways we are predisposed to.
Common traits associated with longevity:
Although scientific advancements are great, if we take a step back and look at societies or regions in the world where people enjoy a longer health span (the blue zones), we can observe that they have several points in common.
Active living: The people who tend to live the longest are not the ones crushing the WOD in the crossfit gym, doing the latest craze of exercise videos or even the ultra-endurance athletes. They are the common everyday people that enjoy very frequent low impact exercise. They are the ones that DO NOT sit 8 hours a day in front of their desk, 2 hours a day in their car and more sitting at home…They are always moving. Simply being inactive (sitting) has been proven to perfectly correlate with a decreased life expectancy. Notice that I will say correlate as it is not a direct proven cause but one can certainly understand that this it makes sense.
Absence of pollution: These people typically live in areas that have less pollution than the major cities. They are breathing cleaner air, spending more time outside and are closer to nature. They are not stuck in traffic breathing in recycled polluted air or spending 90% of their time indoors breathing recycled air. We have also added over 60 000 man-made chemicals of which many have known toxicity. Despite this, because they do not cause immediate harm, we keep using these chemicals as we clean our house, our bodies and attempt to freshen the air around us. We are even drinking many of these chemicals in our water.
Eating wild, freshly harvested plants. Another aspect that can be observed is that they have access to fresh vegetation, wild plants and consume a variety of them. Wild plants not only contain vital phytochemicals but they also offer a slightly hermetic effect on the body as many of them have a natural defence mechanism causing them to NOT want to be eaten. These chemicals is large quantities can have a deleterious impact on our health but in small quantities, they make us stronger. Freshly cultivated, organic, pesticide free foods grown in rich soil, also helps provide the body with the vitamins, minerals and trace minerals that are critical for optimal functioning. Many of us in big cities do not even have access to locally grown produce, much less wild plant and organic vegetables.
Avoidance of processed foods: The North American diet has become one of convenience where processed foods have taken over many of our supermarkets. We do not find many centenarians who have grown up on fast foods, sugary treats, commercially canned foods and processed foods as part of their main diets. We have not only robbed many of our farm lands from their nutrients in the soil but we have denatured the way that food should be consumed for the sake of profits and convenience. We have added chemicals, hormones, refined hydrogenated oils, fillers, extra sugar/fructose, preservatives, plastics that leach chemicals and food colorings to name a few of the horrible things we have done to our food supply.
High amount of veggies and legumes: If we look at our ancestors and what the human body was meant to consume, it is clear that the vast majority of our foods should include veggies and legumes. Asides from the China study that showed and a tendency for optimal health with those that consumed more veggies and less red meats (another debate), science has shown without a doubt that the best way to obtain most vitamins and minerals is through the consumption of fresh veggies, fruits and legumes. The fiber and resistive starches also play contributing roles in gut health, which as we know is critical to optimal health. As for the carnivores out there screaming, yes, eating meats from animals that have grazed on graze doe provide some very valuable nutrients and some nutrients are easier to obtain from meats. With that said, the nutritional biodiversity of non-meat products can not be matched and omitting non-meat products from someone’s’ diets (eating strictly carnivore) is not a recipe for optimal health span in my opinion.
Social engagement: The people who seem to enjoy the highest quality in their later years are the ones that are socially engaged. We are social animals who enjoy close relationships with others, eating with good company, laughing and being with loved ones. There appears to be a considerable correlation between those who are surrounded loved ones and also share a sense of purpose. Feeling part of the community that you live in and the feeling of playing a contributing role appears to give some a reason for continuing to live. I don’t think we should underestimate the psychological and physical impact of feeling needed, desired and loved by others.
Calorie restriction: In many laboratory studies, one of the strategies that has shown effectiveness for longevity is calorie restrictions. But before you go and starve yourselves, please note that most of these studies are done on rodents and that trials on larger animals have had mixed results. What we do know is that people who live extremely long are almost always thin and often small in nature. One could argue that keeping a 350 obese pound man alive for 100years is simply too difficult on the body. Logically, this appears to make sense as your heart, lungs and other organs would have to work a bit harder to supply the entire body with its needs. More calories consumed also means that you digestive system has to work harder, you need to produce more enzymes, bile, etc… Your body would also have to detox more given the probability you would consume more toxicity. It would therefore make sense that NOT having excess body mass, which can be achieved through calorie restriction could be a contributing role towards longevity. However, that does not mean starving yourselves. A diet that is too low in calories might very lead to dietary deficiencies that lead to early death. My take on this theory is that you should strive to minimize excess bodyfat as this is without a doubt an unnecessary tax on your health and longevity.
Purpose: Having a sense of purpose or at the very least feeling useful plays and important role in how we age. If we feel that we have unfinished business and that we are driven to accomplish something, it can play a role in our desire to get out of bed. I’m not taking about the 60 yr old here, but more the 90 yr old who feels that his/her community needs them and that they can still contribute through wisdom, kindness, you name it… Or simply because they look forward to doing something or seeing someone.
Stress management: Stress is the silent killer! We under estimate the impact that stress has on not only our psychology but our physiology. Our minds control or bodies and we would be naive in thinking that the feeling of stress begins and end in our heads. Stress can make us lose our appetite, or eat more for some. It can trigger huge increase in stress hormones which can downregulate other hormones and impact everything from your ability to digest to the ability to sleep. Some of us begin the day with the stress of getting everyone ready, the stress of traffic, the stress of a demanding job (which you might hate), uncontrollable factors that you need to solve, deadlines, consequences, more traffic, household responsibilities and more work. Not exactly the recipe for healthy living… What we can observe is that finding a way to control your stress, having downtime, getting enough sleep, meditating, engaging in exercise, can all prove to be helpful when it comes to achieving optimal health.
Spiritual discipline and gratitude. Another common trait from the people in the blue zones is the practice of spirituality. I like to tie this in a bit with stress management because I associate many religious practices to the fact that we simply cannot control every aspects of our lives and having faith that there is someone out there that is looking out for us (regardless of the religion) is soothing to the soul. Believing that you are taken care of in the afterlife and that everything is going to be ok is comforting. Knowing that despite all the mistakes you might have done, there is someone out there that accepts you and forgives you, can only provide a sense of relief. I have often felt that religion was created to ease our Monkey brains and reassure us through rituals, practices, superstitions, that in the end, everything will work out and that we will all be OK. In parallel with spiritual discipline, having a sense of gratitude when you regularly take time to think about how grateful you are conditions your mind for positivity. Whether it is a gratitude journal, saying grace, take moments in the day to reflect on all the greatness around you, these thoughts impact how you see the world. I can’t find the study showing that negative angry people do not live as long but I’m sure that one day I will. In any case, spending your days angry and bitter is no way to live.
Intimacy: There appears to be a correlation between longevity and remaining sexually active. It would appear that as long as we are giving our bodies the signal that we are still relevant from a procreation standpoint, that we ”keep our place in line” so to speak. Now although this correlations does appear, my curiosity would still lead me to wonder if it is the act of procreation that keeps them young or is it other factors that have kept them young that also keep them ‘interested”. I am not ready to draw a conclusion on this one but the fact remains that people who remain sexually active later in life tend to live longer. And even if this correlation is wrong, there is no harm in trying ?
HOW SCIENCE CAN HELP US
We have just seen the habits and clues left behind by those living well passed their 90’s. Now let’s take a closer look at the science to see how we can also take advantage of countless hours spent by the world’s best scientists dedicated to solving the mysteries of aging. After hundreds of medical articles, countless books, speeches, videos and blogs for the world leading experts, my conclusion is that it is not ONE aspect of our physiology that makes us age. Many have their riffle approach theories from Telomere shortening, Oxidative stress, inflammation, genetic programming and more. But having gone through the studies, it became apparent that these theories are all related and interdependent. To fully grasp and unlock the secrets of longevity, one has look at the entire human body and not just one aspect. The following section will describe the top 10 categories which I feel should be addressed if one is to wage an all-out war against aging.
To fully grasp the aging process, one has to undoubtedly look at how cells behave since aging begins at a cellular level. The ability of our mitochondria to function properly and the ability for our bodies to deal with the increasing amount of protein missfolding errors leads to the eventual breakdown. Our bodies struggles to deal with effects of toxins/environmental pollutants and DNA mutations leading to diseases can set in.
Our body’s natural process of cell apoptosis can malfunction and cell senescence can also come into play causing the secretion of cytokines with negatively impact other aging pathways and cause chronic inflammation. In conjunction with this we see a decrease in stem cell proliferation and the almost inevitable shorting of telomeres which are directly correlated with cell death.
The 10 pillars of aging (areas we should be concerned about):
1-The mitochondria: Also known as the energy factory of our bodies we have hundreds of mitochondria in our cells and they are responsible for the generation of energy. When glucose and fructose are delivered into the cell, it is converted into adenosine tri phosphate which is the energy currency for our bodies. Tissues in our bodies that required more energy such as our livers have up to 2000 mitochondria per cell and oocytes can have up to 500 000. Our cells are smart and will up regulate mitochondria production if they feel we require more energy. For example, if you start a new exercise program, the body will recognize the need for more energy. Your mitochondria has the ability to split itself in two (fission) where the organelle gets enlarged , copies its DNA and divides. Thus enabling your muscles to have greater access to the energy factories.
In order to function properly, there are key elements within the mitochondria that play critical roles in the aging process. We cannot look at all of them so I will focus on the ones appearing to be the most critical:
A)The most important anti aging related substances inside the centre of the mitochondria appear to be Oxygen and NAD (Nicotinamide adeline dinucleotide). When things go well , oxygen gets converted to regular water after accepting electrons (energy transport chain). Unfortunately, sometimes there is ”leakage” and electrons remain attached to the oxygen molecule which makes oxygen highly reactive. That process leads to an onslaught of unwanted byproducts such as free radical superoxides, hydrogen peroxides and hydroxy radicals. This oxidative stress and subsequent inflammation are highly correlated with disease and aging.
NAD/NADH: When protons initiate the energy production chain, a critical part of this energy comes from the conversion of NADH+ to NAD. If there is a shortage of these substances, energy production is compromised.
2-DNA mutations: Our DNA is what makes us who we are. It contains all of our programming and is essentially the build plan for our bodies. Through advancements in science, we have now been able to map DNA (Deoxirubonucleitic acid). These molecules are composed of two chains that form a double helix ”ladder” that carries all the genetic instructions our bodies requires for growth , development, reproduction and production of all organisms in our bodies. As we age we start seeing issues with epigenetic modifications.DNA can get damaged in numerous ways and each day, our cells have on average 10 double stranded breaks (when the entire DNA ladder breaks down). As for small breaks (single strand), these mistakes occur at a rate of about 5000 breaks per cell EACH DAY. These issues typically occur during cell replication when we can encounter substitution errors crosslinking errors, deletion errors, etc…
As sophisticated as our DNA is, it remains quite fragile and prone to damage from chemical, pollutions, ultraviolet light, toxins, reactive oxygen species (free radicals), mechanical stress, gamma irritation, chemotherapeutic drugs, etc..
No discussion of DNA damage and antiaging would be complete if we did not address the shortening of Telomeres which directly correlate with longevity. Our DNA are protected by end caps called Telomeres and these can be seen somewhat as the aglets on your shoelace. As long as they are intact, your shoe laces are fine. But over time, and many cell divisions, these Telomeres become shorter and lose their ability to protect the DNA. In comparison, imagine if your shoelace aglet was cut in half, you laces would still be OK and you would have no clue that they are close to their end. Well for our DNA, it is the same thing. Science has clearly shown that if we can slow down the speed at which our Telomeres get damaged, we will increase the lifespan. There are some substances that have shown great signs but from what I see, I think we are 4-5 years away from something significant and tested. Which in research years is REALLY SOON AND EXCITING!!
3-Repair mechanism: As with most things that are new, it takes a while for the machine to start breaking down. Your car won’t rust in the first few years, it won’t lose oil or have any issues. However, as it gets a bit older, things , as you know start to breakdown and our bodies a bit the same. With time our cells get subjected to all sorts of damage but the primary ones for this topic would be DNA damage and protein damage. Proteins are essential to our existence. Our cells are composed of proteins, they are repaired by proteins and they even produce proteins. The maintenance of the quality of the protein within our cells plays a vital role since occasionally these proteins get damaged and this has direct consequences on our health.
Since our body is constantly under attack, we must ensure that we have a highly functional repair system. Luckily, we have an elaborate repair mechanism that keeps these mistakes in check and repair damage that was caused.
Any failure in our proteins can ultimately lead to cell failure , senesense or authophagy. Senesence is when a cell gets injured, doesn’t die but no longer functions properly. These senesent cells do have a purpose but when their numbers are too high they can release cytokines that lead to chronic inflammation, Since stem cells are the most active cells in our bodies that undergo the most turnover and replication, they are consequently also the ones that are more prone to DNA damage and senesence. Thus one could argue that senesence leads to the depletion of our stem cells. Since stem cells play a critical role in our ability to replenish cells, when the pool of stem cells becomes too low, the tissue requiring the renewal of cells starts to degenerate and ultimately fail.
As for autophagy, this occurs when the cell that have been severely damaged self-destructs.
There must always be a balance between protein breakdown in the cell and protein repair. Unfortunately, the protein repair mechanism slows down as we age while protein damage increases. Hense the perfect storm for advanced signs of aging.
”failure to maintain protein homeostatis is associated with aggregation and cell death and underlies a growing list of pathologies including neurodegenerative diseases, aging and cancer”
4-Immune system: No discussion regarding health and anti-aging would be complete without addressing our immune cells and the crucial role our immune cells play in maintaining our health. But as with all cells they are subject to some of the same constraints and attacks. There are several immune cells in our bodies and they all play a different role.
Together, to summarize, their role is identify, fight and destroy pathogens. The specific functioning of each cell is extremely complex and would be overkill for the purpose of this section. What you should take away from this is that keeping the immune cells healthy as we age and have increased damage is extremely critical. The challenge is that as with all cells, our immune cells also slow down with age so understanding the strategies that can increase their function and functional lifespan plays a crucial role in an antiaging strategy.
When we talk about immunity and self defense, one should also gain a moderate understanding of the elements (asides from the cells) that allow us to defend ourselves and fight the bad guys. The first line of defense is our skin. This defense mechanism is quite efficient but still, we have found a way with chemicals, creams, to bypass the skin. As for viruses and bacteria, most of them do not get past our skin but they do have an opening through our lungs, mouth eyes and other orifices. Coughing and sneezing is also a form of defense. We have chemicals in our lungs that prevent certain substance’s from getting in. At the same time that we defend against the undesirables, we do allow the friendly bacteria in .
We saw that when cells are in a state of senosence they release pro-inflammatory cytokines that are highly correlated with advanced signs of aging. Which is why many are calling aging an inflammatory disease. Some of these inflammatory markers include Interleukin-1, interleukin 6, Interleuking 18, C-reative protein, Tumour necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-a) serum amyloid, Soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1). Asides from Senescence, other factor leading to increased inflammation is the increase in visceral fat and abdominal fat. These forms of fat release roughly very high amounts of inflammatory cytokines. Other factors leading to inflammation and oxidative stress include emotional stress (indirectly) and wear and tear that we put our bodies through gruelling workouts.
Glucose can also play a deleterious role by binding to proteins, DNA and lipids to form advanced glycation end products (AGE) that cause irreparable damage to our cells and further compound the inflammation problem. AGE is often associated with burning our sugar in a pan or charring our meats on the BBQ. I will be presenting solution to all these issues further in this section…
What we should also note that amongst these pro-inflammatory markers, there appears to be some that are the quarterbacks that activate hundreds of other pro-inflammatory genes within the cell. TNF and NK-kB are the two main know players in this category as they act as mediators for a cascade of inflammation. Having strategies that target these ”quarterbacks” is one of the best known approaches to fighting inflammation. But it is not enough to target inflammation, we need to pay attention to the health of our cells and slow down the decline of stem cells + ensure proper mitochondrial function + optimal hormone function+ minimize stress factors + Toxins
5-Aging pathways:
We saw eelier how calorie restriction was proven in many studies to correlate with increase lifespan. The issue however with CR in humans is that a reduction in calories can also lead to deficiencies, lower immune response, loss of fertility etc… Living long doesn’t mean living well! That being said, science has now determined that principle biological pathways that are activated by CR and by knowing how the better manipulate these pathways , it is possible to achieve the benefits of CR without starving ourselves.
When looking at these pathways, there are two that stand out amongst the rest when it comes to an antiaging protocol.
1st pathway: AMP KINASE
(Adenosine Monophosohate- activated Protein Kinase). Also known as the metabolic masterswitch, this enzyme plays a critical role in the upregulating and downregulating of the energy our cells produce. AMP Kinase will detect the level of energy in our cells and if low , will promote catabolic processes that will generate ATP and down regulate processes that will require ATP. This process is critical to the evolution of species and it is a survival mechanism that has allowed us to survive during periods of stress or when food was not always abundant.
In order to make this happen, AMP Kinase will increase the uptake of glucose, increase glycolysis (breakdown of glucose), increase fatty acid oxidation, and will destroy defective mitochondria (autophagy) which will lead to new Mitochondria formation.
In parallel, AMP Kinase will downregulate ATP utilisation by:
Reducing fatty acid synthesis
Decreasing the storage of glycogen
Decreasing the production of protein
Downregulate cellular growth
In a way, this enzyme can mimic what scientist observed in calorie restriction diets. It mobilises energy from storage areas ( glucose and fat) and halts the storage in an attempt to balance energy. Unfortunately as we age, the efficiency of AMP Kinase decrease, leaving us open to a decrease in autophagy, an increase in oxidative stress, more inflammation an d increase in belly fat,
Fortunately for those of us who have absolutely no interest in starving ourselves, there are ways which we can trigger an increase in AMPK though calorie restriction mimetics. These are substances that have very similar effects as going on a calorie restricted diet.
Exercise
Resveratrol
Curcumin
Pteroslilbene
EGCG
The 2nd pathway: The Sirtuins
The sirtuins are another beloved family of genes and proteins that play a huge role in anti-aging, and thus constitute in my opinion the second most important pathway when it comes to antiaging strategies. Otherwise known as the Silent Information Regulator gene, this family regulates the bodies metabolic and growth pathways. In part , it is responsible for regulating the transcription of certain proteins, plays a role in controlling the circadian rhythm, DNA transcription, inflammatory pathways, epigenetic regulations and even muscle wasting, Science up to now has discovered 7 different sirtuins but amongst these, several particularly interesting when it comes to an antiaging protocol.
When we look at the structure of the sirtuin protein, we can notice that they have 3 primary sites. The NAD binding site, the activation site and the zinc binding site. Needless to say, NAD and zinc are critical for the proper functioning of sirtuins. As we already know, NAD decline correlates with the aging process and declines in NAD lead to declines in cellular energy production. Ensuring that we have adequate levels of NAD should be critical in any approach to anti aging. As for zinc, this further strengthens the fact that micronutrients are critical in our diets. As a side note when it comes to micronutrients, we are not what we eat but what we absorb! Which is why taking take of our digestive organs + gut is so critical.
Sirtuins and cell division: As you know, our cells are dividing ALL OF THE TIME and this process is added by the sirtuins. Cell division, also known as mitosis is a critical function that is essential to or survival. If our sirtuins are snot functioning properly however, this division can be diminished and even worse, errors can occur during cell division leading to mutations and genetic errors. Replication and cell renewal is an absolute critical factor when it comes to maintaining our youthfulness.
Sirtuins and DNA repair
Divisions is only one aspect of cell activities that need orchestration. Our cells are constantly being damaged by oxidative stress, injuries, toxins, you name it…Once again, sirtuins play an important role in the repair mechanism of our cells. The process involves a key player we have already seen (NAD) which works with Sirtuins as a necessary co factor for DNA repair. NAD you could say gets broken down in order to path the areas of our DNA that is damaged. It is not only one of the driving forces of DNA repair but also used itself to aid in the actual repair.
Sirtuins and inflammation:
As if it were not enough already, sirtuins also play a role in the control (decrease) oif inflammation. Inflammation is associated with numerous degenerative chronic illnesses not keeping it in check is important. The process by which they work is by downregulating Nicelar factor (NF-kB ) systems which are the key orchestrators to a myriad of inflammatory factors. NF-Kb sits at the top of the inflammation food chain so anything that inhibits it, will by default decrease inflammation.
Sirtuins and the circadian rhythm
We are all governed by a certain clock that upregulates and downregulates certain aspects of our physiology. For humans, this means that we are more active during the day and should rest/recover at night. As we age, may begin to show signs of pattern breakdown where sleep becomes more challenging, thus limiting the repair mechanism and crucial hormone productions that occur at night. There is a long list of illnesses associated with disrupted sleep patterns and anyone that is extremely interested in an antiaging protocol should take their sleep/rest very seriously.
Sirtuins and Telemeres
Telomeres are the caps that protect your DNA. These can erode with time/cell division until they are compromised and either make mistakes or stop replicating. When this occurs, you guessed it, you are no longer able to repair/new damaged tissue and your health starts to very rapidly decline. We will nt really notice when these telomeres are simply short but doing the job, which is why we should not wait until the signs of rapid decline begin. A proactive approach to maintaining the lengths of our telomeres should be our strategy.
As you have already guessed it, sirtuins also play a role in maintaining the length of our telomeres. Since there is a VERY HIGH correlation between length of life and telemere length, keep your SIRTS happy!
As you can see, sirtuins are critical to our health and unfortunately, with age these proteins decline. Any strategy to maintain optimal health as we age must address the sirtuins and find ways to limit the rate at which they decline.
6-Detoxification: The term detox has been overused and in many cases for the simple objective of convincing people they are dirty and extracting $ from them. Although there are some that seek to exaggerate for the sake of commercializing another detox kit, the fact that we hoard toxins, unwanted bacteria, parasites, fungus, intestinal plaque is true. Detoxing has been a part of medicine for thousands of years and it holds a definite place in the world of healing. Despite modern medicine brushing it aside, common sense would argue that the less garbage you have inside you, the healthier you will be and the less precious energy you will waste fighting off imbalances and pathogens. As my father who dedicated 50 years of his life to medical research and alternative medicines would say (in a clean body, there is no disease). If we take a step back and look at how we live today VS 100 years ago, we have come quite far in the world of science and diagnostics but we have taken quite a few steps back in regards to the toxicity of our bodies and the ability to keep them clean. We are now exposed to thousands of chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, plastics, cleaning agents, air pollution that our ancestors simply did not have to deal with. These chemicals no doubt burden our immune system and we occasional should step in and help out.
Before we go too far in detox strategies and protocols (which I won’t be offering in this section), your primary concern should be to stop the toxins from entering your body. In other terms, the first step to keeping your house clean, is to not dirty it.
The main areas we become toxic from are the air we bread, the water we drink, the foods we eat and the products we either smell of put on our skin. Your goal should be to ask yourself if there are any compounds in the products you are using that are not 100% natural and if so, remove them. And if you are not willing to eat it or drink it, do not it and/or out it on your skin.
7-Microbiome: It would appear that the microbiome is often a forgotten element to most antiaging strategies. Which sounds remarkably absurd to me since the majority of our DNA resides in our gut bacteria. In fact 90% of the DNA in our bodies belongs to these sophisticated bacteria which control more than we think. It would only make sense that any protocol designed to minimize DNA damage, upregulate repair mechanism and ensure the immune system is top shape, would address our microbiota. Out gut health is directly related to many illnesses and I believe that before they manifest themselves in our bodies, there is something that often went wrong in the gut. The father of modern medicine, Hippocraties, also stated 1000 years ago that all disease starts in the gut. As science is evolving, this is becoming more and more apparent but we should not always have to wait for science to confirm what makes sense. In this case, if you cannot absorb nutrients efficiently, process waste efficiently and prevent compounds from leaking through the gut, you are heading for problems. If the area that holds the majority of ALL your immune cells (your gut) is not taken care of, guess what- immunity will be compromised. Simply stated, your ability to digest/absorb nutrients, evacuate waste and provide a healthy environment for the countless bacteria that have a positive impact on your health is of primary essence.
8-The environment
Most scientist agree that we are close to the point of no return when it comes to the damage we have caused to the environment. Our air ids polluted, our oceans and lakes are laced with toxic chemicals including nuclear waste and our lands are becoming poor and polluted as well. Soon, there will be very few places on earth, if any, where the effects of industrialisation and short sited greed are not noticeable on the environment.
What this means to someone that is concerned with advanced aging is that you now have to take into account that the food you eat and water you drink are not as nutritious as they once were and might also be leaching chemicals into you. Chemicals that might not kills you fast but certainly won’t extend your health span.
The further away you get from polluted areas, the better chances you have of mitigating the risk of toxicity. That being said, there isn’t a straight correlation between individuals who live in big cities and dying sooner. In fact, one could argue that they have better access to emergency medicines and benefit from sanitary conditions that eliminate most of the diseases killing people in third world countries. You are currently reading this to increase your lifespan while close to 2 billion are simply concerned about getting through the year. So by all means, extend your life so that you can have more years helping those who are not as fortunate.
The ideal situation is of course a place with little to no evidence of human tampering, clean spring water, plenty of forests to clean the air, far from pollution yet close enough to have access to essential services.
9-Diet: You can’t eat like crap and expect to be able to biohack your way to optimal health. Since there are hundreds of thousands of diet books out there, I will stay broad and provide general rules I have found to be of best value
Everyone is different: Not because a diet is right for person A that it will be right for person B. And by diet I do not mean weight loss, 99% of people in a calorie deficit, will lose weight. And anyone who drastically reduced their carbs will lose almost immediate water weight. What I mean by diet is dietary habits (what you eat and when you eat it). We all have varying needs based on our level of activity, objectives and genetics. Despite the fact that we are all of the same species, we have varying genetics and deficiencies which we should take into considerations prior to embarking on a diet. Be it Keto, Intermittent fasting, the Mediterranean diet, Carnivore, Paleo, etc… Do not let yourselves be seduced by the person with the perfect body advocating a particular diet and seeing it as the be all of all nutritional programs. Any diet which by nature excludes a large categories of foods that might contain nutrients your ‘’could’’ be deficient in, could potentially cause problems. You should look at your diet from a macronutrient perspective with the objective being to meet all nutrient requirements your body craves and eliminating all foods that are unhealthy.
Go hungry and fast: Despite eating habits and proper nutrition, there is mounting evidence that ”when” we eat and how long we go without eating might have the greatest impact on longevity. It would appear that going hungry triggers biological responses that lead the cleanup of cells and increases in pathways that benefit our mitochondria. Calorie restriction has long been linked to longevity but it would appear that fasting or skipping meals can also do the trick. From a longevity standpoint, going a little hungry once in a while isn’t such a bad thing. Even consider fasting
Ditch the process oils and transfats! If there is one TOXIC substance that keeps sneaking into the least suspecting meals and ‘’healthy’’ snacks, it has to be hydrogenated oils. Vegetable oils and seed oils that have been highly heated and processed should be avoided. Our cells are in a majority shielded by a lipid membrane which in parts depends on the dietary fats we consume. If we consistently consume highly unstable, heated polyunsaturated oils that are prone to oxidative damage, this will impact our cell membranes. If we consume transfats (a by-product of hydrogenation) we expose ourselves to a surplus of oxidative stress which can damage our cells and lead to inflammation. Aside from inflammation, our brains are primarily made up of fat and proper functioning is affected by the types of fats we consume. Therefore, we should be cognisant of the types of fats we consume and be careful with our choices.
My favourite sources of fats remain
a)-First cold pressed organic olive oil. ( UNHEATED )
b)- Butter from grass fed and grass finished free range cattle
c)-Organic coconut oil
d)-Avocado oil ( UNHEATED )
e)-Omega 3
Eat a broad variety of fresh organic vegetables: We get the majority of our micronutrients from vegetables and the colours often coincide with the type of minerals/microminerals they contain. A basic guideline would be to try to add as many colours to your plate as possible. The fruits and veggies also provide your body with soluble and insoluble fibre which are required for proper gut functioning.
5-Eat wild meats:If you are not vegetarian or vegan, eat meats that preferably wild from areas that are relatively pollution free. If this is not an option, try to eat organic free range meats (not raised on grains). And although it’s not the most popular, the organ meats are actually more nutritious so consider a nice liver steak once in a while.
10-Lifestyles:
We often want to have a scientific explanation to substantiate all our decision but in the case of lifestyles and longevity, I think we can get away with what appears to simply be logical. Living a stressful lifestyle, 200 mph, eating on the run, 60+ hour weeks, stress at work, stress at home, juggling too many plates, no time for loved ones and feeling overwhelmed is not only a recipe for an early death it is also NOT living. From what we observe, having strong social ties and happy relationships is the #1 contributor to happinesss (according to the Harvard study). Since stress can affect our health, it would only make sense that we limit how much stress we put ourselves through and make sure that we take the time to enjoy loved ones and activities we are passionate about. There is no sense living long if it’s not going to be fun.
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