Longevity Blog Archives...
I am going to start reading a book called The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D. I am going to guess what I think are the top ten things that help us live longer, and as I go through the book, I will see how many of them match up with the author's ideas...
My Top Ten list of ways to live longer:
* Be mindful - be aware of what is happening around you and enjoy it. Time passes by too fast when we are on autopilot.
* Be childlike - have fun and don't take life too seriously - having a good sense of humor about the quirks of life is important and relieves stress.
* Manage Stress - we all have stress, but we need to find ways to not let stress overwhelm us.
* Spend lots of time with positive people - friends, family and people you work with are all important - just make sure that the people you spend the most time with are positive and fun.
* Don't get stuck in a rut - try new things - plan trips - get out of your comfort zone and plan new adventures.
* Take supplements - figure out what you need to support your system and to keep you healthy.
* Get some exercise - but make sure it is fun.
* If you are a perfectionist - find a way to relax and enjoy life's imperfections. If perfectionism interferes with your life, you may actually be experiencing an imbalance in your system which may require some supplements. Perfectionism keeps us from trying new things and enjoying the things that we are doing.
* Simplify life - figure out what makes you happy and eliminate things in your life that don't bring happiness.
* Eat lots of vegetables, drink lots of water, and treat yourself to foods that make you happy without guilt.
I could add more to this list, but these were the first ten things that came to mind - next week I will follow up and see if any of my ideas matched the ideas in the Live Longer book
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Last week I made an attempt at guessing what the top ten secrets to living longer are. As I started reading the book The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer by Jonny Bowden, Ph. D., I am finding that there is some obvious overlap in our lists - he just takes a broader perspective as to what causes aging. The four areas that Dr. Bowden attributes to playing a part in every disease process of aging are "oxidative damage, inflammation, glycation and stress". We are probably more familiar with these four areas than it may appear at first glance. Oxidative damage is caused by free radicals - antioxidants assist with repairing this damage. Inflammation can be caused by the foods that we eat and the toxins that we are exposed to. Glycation - this area is less familiar to me - has to do with proteins getting slowed down by sugars in the system. Finally, stress - this is an area that is familiar to all of us. Stress comes in many forms - mental, physical, financial, emotional, etc. We can't avoid stress, but we can take steps to help our bodies better deal with the damage that stress does to our systems. I will look at each of these areas and the ideas that Dr. Bowden gives us to reverse these four areas of aging starting next week
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I am still reading the book The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D. The first area that the author stated needs to be managed to live longer is free radicals. Our bodies create free radicals from oxygen and they actually cause oxidation in our systems. The way to fight off the free radicals is to eat antioxidants - which is a big buzzword right now. Antioxidants can be found in fruits and vegetables. When it is recommended that we eat 5-12 servings of fruits and vegetables each day, we not only get more vitamins, minerals and enzymes in our systems, but we also fight off the free radicals that are causing damage in our systems. Dr. Bowden explains free radical damage as "rusting from within". Some ways that the author recommends combating this rusting is to eat organic foods, eating healthy fats, avoid sugar and take antioxidant supplements. When we eat organic foods, we don't put the extra stress on our systems that the pesticides on the foods cause. When we eat healthy fats, it helps to build up our cells so they can do their job of fighting off the free radicals. Sugar is another stressor to our bodies and should be avoided as much as possible - we can add to this list of stressors trans fats, additives and preservatives in our foods. Finally, it is a good idea to add antioxidants in supplement form to boost our arsenal of antioxidants.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The second area in Dr. Jonny Bowden's book, The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer is inflammation. I have written about inflammation in other blogs, just because it is so prevalent in so many of the ailments that people experience today. According to Dr. Bowden, "Inflammation is a basic way the body reacts to injury or irritation. Chronic inflammation flies below the radar of your perception and may not cause any pain or symptoms." If we sprain our ankle, the inflammation is apparent and an important part of the healing process. If the inflammation in our bodies gets out of control, that is when we begin to see a breakdown of our systems and functions, leading to such ailments as arthritis, heart disease, asthma, cancer and more. In order to keep inflammation under control, we have to once again pay attention to our lifestyles - making sure to get enough exercise and sleep, reducing stress and eating well. Dr. Bowden gives the following list of foods and supplements that can help reduce inflammation in the body:
* Onions and garlic
* Leafy greens
* Tomatoes
* Bell peppers
* Broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower
* All types of beans
* Nuts and seeds
* Herbs and spices
* Tea
* Red wine
* Flax
* Omega 3 Fatty Acids
* GLA from borage or evening primrose oils
* MSM (a sulfur)
Making lifestyle changes can reverse the effects of chronic inflammation in the body.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The third area that Dr. Jonny Bowden highlights in his book The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer is glycation. To be honest, this is an area that is not very familiar to me. Dr. Bowden defines glycation as "...what happens when sugar molecules glom onto protein (or fat) molecules". That definition still doesn't clear it up for me. Reading further, it makes sense that if we eat sugars, the sugar molecules attach to protein molecules in our blood, which slows down the whole system - it makes me think of dirty oil in your car - the car has to work harder than necessary because of the thick oil. Another source of glycation is overcooking food or cooking at high temperatures. Cooking at high temperatures form AGE's (advanced glycation end products) which in turn cause inflammation and form free radicals (the first two areas blamed on aging!). Dr. Bowden recommends supplementing with carnosine to prevent the glycation process. Carnosine is an antioxidant which can help suppress oxidation in the cells which our bodies do not have enough stores of. Glycation is another reason to move toward whole, raw foods to help our systems work more efficiently.
The fourth and final silent killer from the book The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer by Jonny Bowden, Ph. D. is stress. Stress comes up as a contributor to almost every health issue we have... but we almost wear stress as a badge of honor. The more stressed out we are, the more we are accomplishing. This may be true in the short term, but in the long term, according to Dr. Bowden, "Stress produces hormonal reactions in the body that can shrink parts of the brain, damage your vascular system, and increase blood sugar levels, heart rate, and blood pressure. Stress can exacerbate less deadly but nonetheless important conditions such as skin problems, asthma, and allergies, and it makes recovery from illness much more difficult." The reason that we suffer from so many illnesses and symptoms is because we are under constant stress. Unlike our ancestors who would have moments of stress if they were under attack, we have stress in our lives from the moment we wake up until we go to bed at night - and it may even cause us to wake in the middle of the night. When cortisol levels stay elevated in our systems, our bodies have to work too hard, and we begin to see illness and disease sneak up on us. One of the best ways to cut down on the stress in our lives is to stop muli-tasking. Trying to do too much at one time creates stress and actually causes us to be less effective at what we are doing. Sleep is also important in stress reduction. If we are not getting enough sleep our stress is multiplied. Of course, eating well, exercising and spending time with positive people that you like can all help with relieving stress.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I am going to wrap up the information from the book The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer by Dr. Jonny Bowden. Dr. Bowden states that there are seven pillars of longevity. I will summarize the those pillars of longevity below:
* Food - the goal of this pillar is to move toward whole, pure foods to enable your body to work more efficiently and to slow down the aging process. The fewer chemicals and unhealthy foods that we put into our bodies, the more efficient our bodies will work.
* Supplements: Supplements have become a necessity - not only do we all generally need a multivitamin and mineral, but many of us also need to supplement fish oils, enzymes, friendly bacteria and more. Because supplementation is very individual, check with your natural health practitioner to determine what is the best program for you.
* Detoxification: This takes a different spin - focusing on removing chemicals from our environment, including those found in beauty products, cleaning products, our food and our water.
* Exercise: Exercising on a regular basis will help with stress, weight loss, muscle and bone density and overall mood.
* Sleep: Sleep makes all the difference in how we are able to manage our health. Sleep reduces stress, improves mood and rejuvenates our organs and systems.
* Stress Reduction: All of the other areas assist this area. Reducing stress is probably the best thing that we can do for our overall health.
* Emotional Intelligence: This has to do with improving relationships with myself and those around me - it also includes what we do for the community around us.
Overall, these seven pillars of longevity can make a difference in our quality, if not the quantity of our lives.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have blogged a lot about different opinions as to what assists with anti-aging. When I think of anti-aging, I don't think about extending life, but rather improving the quality of life. If all goes right, you can get the best of both worlds. I am currently reading the book Prime-Time Health by William Sears, MD. Dr. Sears goes with the idea of "healthy-aging" rather than anti-aging. The four goals of his book are to prevent disease, sharpen thinking, boost energy and to take charge of your own health. Dr. Sears looked at the secrets of people who have lived to be over 100. The list is simple and makes sense - listed below is Dr. Sear's list:
* They Love
* They are Lean - they are not skinny, they are lean (balance of muscle and fat for their body)
* They graze - eat smaller meals more often and take more time to eat.
* They eat pure - they avoid processed foods
* They laugh
* They pray
* They are flexible - they are adaptable
* They serve
* They are musical
* They swim
* They think - they keep their minds active
* They go slow - avoid multi-tasking
* The are fun
* They sleep
* They are positive thinkers not worrywarts
* They work - they have a reason to wake up in the morning
* The are sexy
* They plan for their futures
As a side note, female centenarians outnumber males by a ration of nine to one. According to Dr. Sears, "The oldest documented supercentenarian was a French woman, Jeanne Calment, who died in 1997 at the blessed age of 122." It is never too late to begin making life changes to improve the quality of our lives.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I apologize for not following up with neurotransmitters. I returned the book to the library, so I will continue with that topic at another time. I have been scanning through a book called the "100 Best Ways to Stop Aging and Stay Young" by Julia Maranan. The topic that caught my attention was the immune system. I think this is an area that we neglect as we age. Many times, the only preventative action that is taken to stay healthy is to get a flu shot, rather than focusing on avoiding illness through strengthening the immune system. Following is a list of ideas from the author on how to keep your immune system strong:
I am going to start reading a book called The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D. I am going to guess what I think are the top ten things that help us live longer, and as I go through the book, I will see how many of them match up with the author's ideas...
My Top Ten list of ways to live longer:
* Be mindful - be aware of what is happening around you and enjoy it. Time passes by too fast when we are on autopilot.
* Be childlike - have fun and don't take life too seriously - having a good sense of humor about the quirks of life is important and relieves stress.
* Manage Stress - we all have stress, but we need to find ways to not let stress overwhelm us.
* Spend lots of time with positive people - friends, family and people you work with are all important - just make sure that the people you spend the most time with are positive and fun.
* Don't get stuck in a rut - try new things - plan trips - get out of your comfort zone and plan new adventures.
* Take supplements - figure out what you need to support your system and to keep you healthy.
* Get some exercise - but make sure it is fun.
* If you are a perfectionist - find a way to relax and enjoy life's imperfections. If perfectionism interferes with your life, you may actually be experiencing an imbalance in your system which may require some supplements. Perfectionism keeps us from trying new things and enjoying the things that we are doing.
* Simplify life - figure out what makes you happy and eliminate things in your life that don't bring happiness.
* Eat lots of vegetables, drink lots of water, and treat yourself to foods that make you happy without guilt.
I could add more to this list, but these were the first ten things that came to mind - next week I will follow up and see if any of my ideas matched the ideas in the Live Longer book
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Last week I made an attempt at guessing what the top ten secrets to living longer are. As I started reading the book The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer by Jonny Bowden, Ph. D., I am finding that there is some obvious overlap in our lists - he just takes a broader perspective as to what causes aging. The four areas that Dr. Bowden attributes to playing a part in every disease process of aging are "oxidative damage, inflammation, glycation and stress". We are probably more familiar with these four areas than it may appear at first glance. Oxidative damage is caused by free radicals - antioxidants assist with repairing this damage. Inflammation can be caused by the foods that we eat and the toxins that we are exposed to. Glycation - this area is less familiar to me - has to do with proteins getting slowed down by sugars in the system. Finally, stress - this is an area that is familiar to all of us. Stress comes in many forms - mental, physical, financial, emotional, etc. We can't avoid stress, but we can take steps to help our bodies better deal with the damage that stress does to our systems. I will look at each of these areas and the ideas that Dr. Bowden gives us to reverse these four areas of aging starting next week
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I am still reading the book The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D. The first area that the author stated needs to be managed to live longer is free radicals. Our bodies create free radicals from oxygen and they actually cause oxidation in our systems. The way to fight off the free radicals is to eat antioxidants - which is a big buzzword right now. Antioxidants can be found in fruits and vegetables. When it is recommended that we eat 5-12 servings of fruits and vegetables each day, we not only get more vitamins, minerals and enzymes in our systems, but we also fight off the free radicals that are causing damage in our systems. Dr. Bowden explains free radical damage as "rusting from within". Some ways that the author recommends combating this rusting is to eat organic foods, eating healthy fats, avoid sugar and take antioxidant supplements. When we eat organic foods, we don't put the extra stress on our systems that the pesticides on the foods cause. When we eat healthy fats, it helps to build up our cells so they can do their job of fighting off the free radicals. Sugar is another stressor to our bodies and should be avoided as much as possible - we can add to this list of stressors trans fats, additives and preservatives in our foods. Finally, it is a good idea to add antioxidants in supplement form to boost our arsenal of antioxidants.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The second area in Dr. Jonny Bowden's book, The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer is inflammation. I have written about inflammation in other blogs, just because it is so prevalent in so many of the ailments that people experience today. According to Dr. Bowden, "Inflammation is a basic way the body reacts to injury or irritation. Chronic inflammation flies below the radar of your perception and may not cause any pain or symptoms." If we sprain our ankle, the inflammation is apparent and an important part of the healing process. If the inflammation in our bodies gets out of control, that is when we begin to see a breakdown of our systems and functions, leading to such ailments as arthritis, heart disease, asthma, cancer and more. In order to keep inflammation under control, we have to once again pay attention to our lifestyles - making sure to get enough exercise and sleep, reducing stress and eating well. Dr. Bowden gives the following list of foods and supplements that can help reduce inflammation in the body:
* Onions and garlic
* Leafy greens
* Tomatoes
* Bell peppers
* Broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower
* All types of beans
* Nuts and seeds
* Herbs and spices
* Tea
* Red wine
* Flax
* Omega 3 Fatty Acids
* GLA from borage or evening primrose oils
* MSM (a sulfur)
Making lifestyle changes can reverse the effects of chronic inflammation in the body.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The third area that Dr. Jonny Bowden highlights in his book The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer is glycation. To be honest, this is an area that is not very familiar to me. Dr. Bowden defines glycation as "...what happens when sugar molecules glom onto protein (or fat) molecules". That definition still doesn't clear it up for me. Reading further, it makes sense that if we eat sugars, the sugar molecules attach to protein molecules in our blood, which slows down the whole system - it makes me think of dirty oil in your car - the car has to work harder than necessary because of the thick oil. Another source of glycation is overcooking food or cooking at high temperatures. Cooking at high temperatures form AGE's (advanced glycation end products) which in turn cause inflammation and form free radicals (the first two areas blamed on aging!). Dr. Bowden recommends supplementing with carnosine to prevent the glycation process. Carnosine is an antioxidant which can help suppress oxidation in the cells which our bodies do not have enough stores of. Glycation is another reason to move toward whole, raw foods to help our systems work more efficiently.
The fourth and final silent killer from the book The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer by Jonny Bowden, Ph. D. is stress. Stress comes up as a contributor to almost every health issue we have... but we almost wear stress as a badge of honor. The more stressed out we are, the more we are accomplishing. This may be true in the short term, but in the long term, according to Dr. Bowden, "Stress produces hormonal reactions in the body that can shrink parts of the brain, damage your vascular system, and increase blood sugar levels, heart rate, and blood pressure. Stress can exacerbate less deadly but nonetheless important conditions such as skin problems, asthma, and allergies, and it makes recovery from illness much more difficult." The reason that we suffer from so many illnesses and symptoms is because we are under constant stress. Unlike our ancestors who would have moments of stress if they were under attack, we have stress in our lives from the moment we wake up until we go to bed at night - and it may even cause us to wake in the middle of the night. When cortisol levels stay elevated in our systems, our bodies have to work too hard, and we begin to see illness and disease sneak up on us. One of the best ways to cut down on the stress in our lives is to stop muli-tasking. Trying to do too much at one time creates stress and actually causes us to be less effective at what we are doing. Sleep is also important in stress reduction. If we are not getting enough sleep our stress is multiplied. Of course, eating well, exercising and spending time with positive people that you like can all help with relieving stress.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I am going to wrap up the information from the book The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer by Dr. Jonny Bowden. Dr. Bowden states that there are seven pillars of longevity. I will summarize the those pillars of longevity below:
* Food - the goal of this pillar is to move toward whole, pure foods to enable your body to work more efficiently and to slow down the aging process. The fewer chemicals and unhealthy foods that we put into our bodies, the more efficient our bodies will work.
* Supplements: Supplements have become a necessity - not only do we all generally need a multivitamin and mineral, but many of us also need to supplement fish oils, enzymes, friendly bacteria and more. Because supplementation is very individual, check with your natural health practitioner to determine what is the best program for you.
* Detoxification: This takes a different spin - focusing on removing chemicals from our environment, including those found in beauty products, cleaning products, our food and our water.
* Exercise: Exercising on a regular basis will help with stress, weight loss, muscle and bone density and overall mood.
* Sleep: Sleep makes all the difference in how we are able to manage our health. Sleep reduces stress, improves mood and rejuvenates our organs and systems.
* Stress Reduction: All of the other areas assist this area. Reducing stress is probably the best thing that we can do for our overall health.
* Emotional Intelligence: This has to do with improving relationships with myself and those around me - it also includes what we do for the community around us.
Overall, these seven pillars of longevity can make a difference in our quality, if not the quantity of our lives.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have blogged a lot about different opinions as to what assists with anti-aging. When I think of anti-aging, I don't think about extending life, but rather improving the quality of life. If all goes right, you can get the best of both worlds. I am currently reading the book Prime-Time Health by William Sears, MD. Dr. Sears goes with the idea of "healthy-aging" rather than anti-aging. The four goals of his book are to prevent disease, sharpen thinking, boost energy and to take charge of your own health. Dr. Sears looked at the secrets of people who have lived to be over 100. The list is simple and makes sense - listed below is Dr. Sear's list:
* They Love
* They are Lean - they are not skinny, they are lean (balance of muscle and fat for their body)
* They graze - eat smaller meals more often and take more time to eat.
* They eat pure - they avoid processed foods
* They laugh
* They pray
* They are flexible - they are adaptable
* They serve
* They are musical
* They swim
* They think - they keep their minds active
* They go slow - avoid multi-tasking
* The are fun
* They sleep
* They are positive thinkers not worrywarts
* They work - they have a reason to wake up in the morning
* The are sexy
* They plan for their futures
As a side note, female centenarians outnumber males by a ration of nine to one. According to Dr. Sears, "The oldest documented supercentenarian was a French woman, Jeanne Calment, who died in 1997 at the blessed age of 122." It is never too late to begin making life changes to improve the quality of our lives.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I apologize for not following up with neurotransmitters. I returned the book to the library, so I will continue with that topic at another time. I have been scanning through a book called the "100 Best Ways to Stop Aging and Stay Young" by Julia Maranan. The topic that caught my attention was the immune system. I think this is an area that we neglect as we age. Many times, the only preventative action that is taken to stay healthy is to get a flu shot, rather than focusing on avoiding illness through strengthening the immune system. Following is a list of ideas from the author on how to keep your immune system strong:
- Do not hold a grudge
- Do things that you enjoy - this will help reduce stress
- Listen to music
- Get enough sleep
- Use the power of touch for lifelong immunity
- Think positively
- Exercise in moderation
- Eat immune boosting foods - colorful fruits and vegetables, mushrooms, garlic, nuts, and green tea are all beneficial foods.
- Take supplements to boost the immune system
- Improve the air quality in your environment
