While everyone ages, simple lifestyle adjustments can help your body remain younger for longer. Anti-Aging Strategies take aim at the roots of aging to boost health and increase energy regardless of age.
New research suggests that your biological age may be reversed. Scientists found that stress, pregnancy and severe cases of COVID-19 could reverse methylation clock and slow internal aging processes.
Diet
Eating a nutritious diet filled with whole foods is one of the best ways to promote health and slow aging. Plant-rich foods contain powerful anti-inflammatory nutrients and compounds, as well as improving many blood biomarkers related to aging.
On a cellular level, aging results from repeated cell division and replication. Each time cells divide and replicate themselves, their chromosomes shorten until reaching critical length and becoming damaged or dying (Flint 2020). Over time this damage accumulates into visible signs of aging in the form of visible symptoms in our bodies (Flint 2020).
Antioxidants are natural substances that help combat oxidative stress and protect cells from cell damage. One such antioxidant, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), can be found in fruits and vegetables as well as various supplements; studies have demonstrated its efficacy at reducing fine lines and wrinkles by slowing collagen breakdown while simultaneously decreasing inflammation levels and increasing skin elasticity (Capurson 2019).
Although we cannot turn back time and completely reverse aging, lifestyle changes may help delay or even reverse some internal signs of aging. Regular blood tests can reveal what factors contribute to biological age; while healthy eating plans, regular exercise sessions, good sleeping patterns and taking appropriate supplements may all help keep biological age below chronological age.
Sleep
Sleep is a naturally occurring, reversible state in which external stimuli have reduced sensitivity. Sleep differs from wakefulness and hibernation by being distinct in that its physiological changes occur at regular intervals in an organized fashion, unlike wakefulness and hibernation, with its distinct processes including complex yet predictable changes to our physiology that occur spontaneously and repeatedly over time. Aging, which leads to disease vulnerability over time, shares these same processes; recent research studies are exploring whether lifestyle interventions such as caloric restriction or fasting-mimicking diet can affect these physiological mechanisms associated with biological aging.
Studies show that getting seven to nine hours of quality sleep per night is critical for defying aging and maintaining good overall health. Just like exercise and diet, quality rest can have profound benefits on your overall wellbeing.
Stress Management
Stress is an unavoidable part of life that impacts us all, but chronically elevated levels can be especially damaging. People suffering from such elevated levels are at an increased risk for experiencing health issues such as sleeplessness, migraine headaches, weight gain and irritation – effects which could further ripple out and impact other aspects of their health such as heart disease, diabetes, depression or anxiety.
There are various strategies available to you for managing stress, from meditation and yoga to controlled breathing and visualization exercises. All these practices have been proven to reduce negative side effects associated with stress. When feeling overwhelmed by life events, having someone there for support such as family or friends or an organized support group such as one for veterans dealing with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD support group). can also be invaluable.
As part of your health strategy, it is also crucial to recognize how stress impacts both mental and physical wellbeing. Research studies have demonstrated that viewing stress as harmful can lead to unhelpful coping strategies like alcohol or procrastination; on the other hand, viewing stress positively can result in more beneficial coping behaviors, like sharing feelings or finding meaning from stressful experiences.
Stress is an integral part of life, but learning to control it and recognize when your levels become out-of-hand is essential to good health. A qualified therapist or counselor can offer tools and techniques to manage stressors effectively in your life and prevent their negative impacts on body, mind and mood. They may even recommend effective coping mechanisms like yoga meditation visualization techniques as well as professional referrals for additional assistance like doctors or community mental health service providers.
