Live Longer, Stay Younger
Optimal Health & Longevity.
Since the dawn of civilization, men have sought eternal life and everlasting youth. We want to live longer and stay younger. Advances in regenerative medicine and gene therapy may allow for life extension in the future. Until then, it is important to find ways to live longer, stay healthy and overcome the infirmities of aging.
Fasting and Calorie Restriction
Fasting is an ancient ritual used in many religious and philosophical practices. Although religious fasts are done primarily for spiritual purposes, they have the potential to positively affect physical health and increase lifespan.
Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, recommended abstinence from food for sick patients who had certain symptoms. The ancient Greeks believed that medical treatment should be observed from nature, and noted that animals do not eat when sick. Other intellectual giants were also great proponents of fasting. Philip Paracelsus, the founder of toxicology, described fasting as the “greatest remedy” and “the physician within”. Benjamin Franklin, one of America’s founding fathers and renowned for wide knowledge in many areas, believed that “the best of all medicines is resting and fasting”.
Fasting and calorie restriction are popular suggestions to lose weight, address metabolic syndrome and increase life expectancy. Metabolic syndrome increases your risk of serious health problems, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, certain cancers. and other complications. It is characterized by high blood sugar levels, high blood pressure, excess abdominal fat, high triglycerides and low levels of HDL (good cholesterol), and is growing at an alarming rate worldwide.
Although often recommended, fasting and calorie restriction are difficult to follow and carry the risk of malnutrition.
Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting consists of alternating periods of fasting with others of normal calorie intake. Studies show that continuous calorie restriction and intermittent fasting have similar effects on the markers of metabolic health.
Popular Ways to do Intermittent Fasting
There are several ways to implement intermittent fasting. All are effective and you should choose the one that best fits your lifestyle.
- 16/8 or 14/10 … Fast daily for 14-16 hours. Eat in a restricted 8–10 hour window.
- 5:2 … Eat normally for 5 days, followed by 2 days of restricted caloric intake.
- One Day Fast … Do one 24 hour fast per week, and eat normally on other days.
- Alternate Day Fasting … Eat normally every other day, with no or minimal calories on in-between days.
- Spontaneous Meal Skipping … Skip one or two meals per week.
Intermittent Fasting Benefits
Intermittent fasting has several benefits, including:
- Decreases body weight and fat percentage
- Reduces inflammation
- Lowers blood pressure
- Improves lipid profile – lowers total and LDL cholesterol; raises HDL cholesterol
- Increases insulin sensitivity and decreases diabetes risk
- Promotes autophagy clearing out damaged cell organelles and debris.
- Increases cell resilience (similar process to exercise)
It is important that people with with medical conditions, those with a history of eating disorders, and pregnant or breastfeeding women, not attempt fasting, calorie restriction or intermittent fasting, unless under the close supervision of a nutritionist.
Selenium
Selenium, found in soil, is a trace mineral with powerful antioxidant properties. It’s a co-factor enzyme which helps protect against oxidative damage. Selenium may be beneficial for chronic health problems and inflammatory conditions. Nuts, seeds, beans, meat, fish and eggs are good sources of selenium.
A recent study shows selenocysteine supplementation in the roundworm mimics the effects of calorie restriction. It decreases the toxicity associated with high levels of blood glucose caused by insulin resistance. It also mitigates the effects of reactive oxygen species which damage our macromolecules, including lipids, proteins and nucleic acids. Selenocysteine reduces the toxicity of amyloid beta, the plaque forming protein in Alzheimer’s disease.
Like calorie restriction, fasting, and intermittent fasting, selenium supplementation improves lifespan and aging-associated changes.
Optimal Longevity & Health
Humans have always been obsessed with immortality. Modern science may be closer to finding an answer to this quest, and has devised a collection of ways to improve survival and extend life. Most of these new technologies are expensive and time-consuming, and only affordable to the ultra-rich.
And yet we continue to dream of eternity.
Below are a few simple habits that are linked to a long life with optimal health.
A Simple Plan for Optimal Longevity & Health
- Eat an anti-inflammatory Mediterranean-style diet, rich in vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, wild-caught fish and healthy fats. Avoid sugars, refined grains, hydrogenated and trans fats.
- Eat mindfully and chew thoroughly. Chewing food fully breaks it down, and allows for the release of more saliva, which contains digestive enzymes. This facilitates digestion and absorption of nutrients.
- Let your body burn fat between meals. Be active throughout the day. Build muscle tone.
- Try a form of intermittent fasting that works for you.
- Exercise regularly.
- Sleep well
- Manage stress.
- Meditate. Meditation decreases stress, improves concentration, lowers blood pressure, and reduces anxiety and depression.
- Play. Laugh. Prioritize your happiness.
- Socialize. Nurture your social circle.
- Get adequate sunlight.
- Don’t smoke and drink only in moderation.
- Eat a few Brazil nuts a day (high source of selenocysteine)
The aging process can be slowed. We can live longer, stay younger and be healthy and vigorous during that time.