Science has unlocked ways to combat some aspects of aging that are otherwise inevitable, including diet, exercise and sleep habits, in combination with metformin medication. These may all help delay and even reverse biological aging processes.
Muscle atrophy, known as sarcopenia, is an inevitable consequence of age, but can be reversed with strength training exercises. Exercise also improves blood glucose levels, lower chronic inflammation levels and fight oxidative stress levels.
Eat a Plant-Based Diet
Plant-based diets consist of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and nuts and are rich in fiber and essential vitamins and nutrients – leading to people who follow such an eating style being healthier overall than their peers. Vegetarian diets in particular may reduce heart disease risk and type 2 diabetes risk. Eating mostly plants also has less of an environmental impact than raising animals for food would. Raising livestock requires massive amounts of water and land resources while creating climate-altering greenhouse gases while growing crops only produce fractions of that effect while taking up far less space on both.
Plant-based diets are not only great for the environment, but can help make you feel better as well. Studies suggest that those who eat predominantly plants tend to experience lower rates of depression due to serotonin production from digesting certain plants and short chain fatty acids produced during digestion of those plants. Furthermore, plant eaters tend to weigh less than meat eaters which helps avoid health risks associated with obesity.
Start small if you want to try a plant-based diet: add one more serving of fruits and vegetables per meal; try replacing meat with beans, such as tofu, or add more whole grains into meals; if necessary consult with a registered dietitian who can tailor a plan specifically tailored towards meeting your health goals.
Plant-based diets may seem challenging if you don’t prepare all your own meals, but they are an ideal solution for busy individuals on-the-go or with tight schedules. Many ready-made plant-based options can be found at grocery stores such as hummus with veggies or falafel, steamed broccoli with rice and beans or salad bowls – and more! If you have children, encourage them to join you as you transition towards plant-based living; they will quickly adjust and appreciate its flavors just like you will and make sticking to it much simpler!
Exercise Regularly
Exercise can be one of the most significant lifestyle changes to help reverse aging. Studies have demonstrated its efficacy at helping individuals lose weight, improve mood and energy levels and sleep quality; additionally it reduces risks from many serious diseases like cancer. According to Department of Health and Human Services recommendations for adults to participate in 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity physical activity per week for maximum benefits; interval training can also help quickly burn more calories than traditional methods alone.
If you don’t have 30 minutes available for exercise at once, try breaking up your routine into smaller chunks throughout the day.
Reduce Stress
Stress is an inevitable part of life and while it cannot be completely avoided, it can be significantly decreased. Unchecked chronic stress can cause many physical conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes as well as mental illnesses like depression or anxiety and accelerate biological aging processes.
Biological aging refers to a gradual, natural decline in health that ultimately leads to disease and disability. While people inevitably age at different rates due to genetics and lifestyle choices, you can slow the process down by adopting healthy practices such as adopting a plant-based diet, getting enough restful sleep each night, engaging in regular physical activity such as cardio exercises or stretching regularly and managing your stress level effectively.
Age can also be affected by certain behaviors, including smoking and excessive drinking of alcohol; not seeing your doctor for regular checkups regularly enough; and failing to maintain healthy lifestyle habits like regular physicals and routine exams with your provider. Studies have demonstrated how such practices increase one’s risk for serious medical conditions which ultimately may result in an early death.
Belsky and his colleagues conducted a recent study that demonstrated how those who smoke, don’t get enough restful sleep or exercise too little experience faster biological aging rates than those living healthier lifestyles. Such factors impact one’s epigenome – which regulates functions like sexual hormone production and cell responses to oxidative stress.
However, healthy behaviors can counter these negative effects and reset the epigenome. Sinclair has demonstrated in his laboratory how resetting epigenome can significantly slow or even reverse aging in mice; next steps include testing his method on primates in order to ensure its safety and efficacy for humans.
Although living a reverse aging lifestyle may seem impossible, many of its components are straightforward. Eating more plants helps reduce inflammation and improve blood biomarkers that indicate age; regularly exercising to build strength and flexibility and strength training to reduce muscle atrophy (known as sarcopenia) due to age; getting adequate restful sleep while decreasing stress levels will benefit mental health while aiding weight management;
