Around the world, people are seeking medical guidance for ways to stay healthy, active, and vital well into their older years. Anti-aging is about being as healthy as you can for as long as you can. The point is to extend your health span and hopefully, your lifespan will lengthen as well. At the present time, aging itself is inevitable. However, with all the research and innovation in the field of anti-aging and regenerative medicine, it has been predicted that in the near future ‘physical immortality’ will be possible. Currently, the rate at which you age is completely under your control. Follow the anti-aging hacks below to live longer and retain your energy, enthusiasm, health and vitality long into advanced age.
Lifelong Fitness
Poor physical ability in your 50’s may raise your risk of an early death. Between the age of 30 and 70, the average person will have lost about a quarter of their muscle strength. By age 90 the average person will have lost one-half of their strength. Aerobic exercise alone is not enough to forestall this. A regular program of resistance training, endurance training, flexibility and balance helps maintain bone density, muscle mass, ligament, and tendon function.
Daily Walking
A 20-minute walk daily may ward off major physical disability and enhances quality of life.
Walking in nature helps reduce stress, lower depression risk and enhance mood.
Stand, Don’t Sit
Too much sedentary time is linked to major disability after age 60. If you sit at a desk for more than four hours a day, you increase your risk of death from any cause by nearly 50 percent and boost your risk of heart problems by 125 percent. Take a walking break, intersperse 5 minutes of walking between each hour of sitting. Better yet, get a standing desk and take walking breaks.
Have a purpose
Setting direction and goals for what you want to achieve may help you live longer
Eat an anti-inflammatory diet
Eating healthy reduces the odds of aging related chronic diseases, physical impairment, and mental issues. The most antioxidant-rich foods are brightly colored. Consume a diet abundant in brightly colored fruits and vegetables such as red, orange and yellow peppers, kale, spinach cabbage and broccoli. Include monounsaturated and omega-3 rich fats, such as fish and fish oil, olive oil, walnuts and pumpkin seeds in your diet. Avoid sugars and refined carbohydrates such as wheat and grains.
If you decide to eat a food with a high glycemic index, such as something with sugar or white flour, always pair it with protein to slow down the release of glucose in your bloodstream.
Drink
Water, that is. Every system in your body depends on water. With ageing, the body loses its ability to detect thirst. Not drinking enough fluids can contribute to constipation, balance problems, falls, urinary tract infections, kidney problems and slower healing from wounds. Also, the more you drink, the better your skin will look because it’s being moisturized from the inside. Urine color can tell you if you are dehydrated. Ideally it should be pale yellow to clear. Any darker indicates varying levels of dehydration. To determine your normal hydration needs, calculate your body weight in pounds, divide it by 2 and drink that many ounces of water each day. For example, a 200-pound man should drink 100 ounces of quality water daily.
Omit Processed Foods
Anything that comes in a package like cupcakes, cookies, doughnuts, and kids’ cereals contain refined flour and too much sugar, which will spike your blood sugar and your insulin levels. Fried foods like chips and crackers are often loaded with salt and fat and may contain trans fats.
Beware of so‑called healthy versions of your favorite snacks, too. Low-fat versions often contain an extra load of sugar (this can be especially true for peanut butter), and even whole-grain snacks may contain too much sugar, salt, and fat.
Spice Things Up
Many herbs, spices, and seasonings also contain potent antioxidants, so use them liberally, especially the spices cinnamon, cloves, cumin, curry powder, turmeric, and saffron, and the herbs basil, lemon balm, marjoram, oregano, peppermint, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and thyme. Sprinkle fresh herbs on salads or sandwiches, and add a shake of cinnamon to your coffee or tea .
Stay Positive, Be Happy
Mental outlook and a positive attitude are vital. Depression markedly raises the risk of death, especially from heart disease or cancer.
Be Social
People who are lonely produce more inflammation related proteins in response to acute stress, potentially contributing to coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Maintain at least a few close friendships. Touch is important, particularly as we age, when isolation and loss become more common.
Get a Pet
Owning a dog can help older people become fitter and healthier. Dog owners over the age of 65 act 10 years younger than their biological age.
Control Stress
Older men who lead high stress lives are likely to die earlier than the average. Stress affects cognition, alertness, memory, emotional and physical health. Stress also leads to abdominal weight gain, hair thinning, immune system suppression and possible cancer and heart disease. To stay healthy and mentally sharp, you must limit stress. Stress shortens telomeres, the caps on the ends of DNA, and cause genes to age faster. So, take control over your stress. Reduce commitments, make mindful meditation, Tai Chi, or relaxing breathing exercises a part of your life. Find a spiritual or emotional outlet such as yoga, prayer, or being in nature. Laughing at a funny sitcom or movie feels good and reduces the stress hormone cortisol.
