Anti-ageing: let's dive deeper
What is ageing?
At the biological level, ageing results from the impact of the accumulation of a wide variety of molecular and cellular damage over time. We all want to delay the ageing process, and I'm here to tell you that it is possible! There is scientific evidence that telomeres can be lengthened - an enzyme called telomerase can slow, stop or perhaps even reverse the telomere shortening that happens as we age!
Ageing is affected by multiple elements; such as nutrition, exercise - both the physical body and the mind, lifestyle choices, quality sleep and more. So, if you're wanting to slow down the ageing process - you have to focus on wellness from the inside-out.
Nutrition:
Nutrition can have a significant impact on the length of telomeres. Making sure that you're nourishing your body with a diet rich in polyphenols and antioxidants, incorporating specific foods such as leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, berries, nuts/seeds, legumes and fish (preferably organic), and staying hydrated with quality water, have been proven to support telomere health and extend lifespan.
Exercise:
Physical exercise promotes the generation of mitochondria, known as the powerhouse of the cell. Constant moderate physical activity, such as walking, causes cells to make more proteins for their energy-producing mitochondria and their protein-building ribosomes, effectively stopping ageing at the cellular level. Incorporating some form of resistance training (my favourite being pilates), has a positive impact on the body. This is because it improves the muscles’ stem cell function and accelerates muscles’ tissue repair.
Meditation:
Just as you exercise the physical body, exercising the mind is just as important to boost oxygen and blood flow to the brain which promotes neurogenesis (the process by which new brain cells form). Recent empirical studies have shown a positive association between meditation and longer telomeres, as it activates the cellular enzyme telomerase, suggesting that meditation may play an important role in preventing illnesses and anti-ageing.
Relaxation:
Stress causes dis-ease to the body as it amplifies the inflammatory response, accelerating the process of ageing. Ensuring you find ways to reduce stress and promote relaxation is important to maintain overall health. My favourite ways to de-stress are; getting out in nature, long walks and breathwork - which help me get out of my head and get back into my body.
I like to incorporate breathwork strategies because evidence suggests that a fast and shallow breathing pattern corresponds to low CO2 tolerance - while deep relaxation (breathing low and slow) corresponds to a high tolerance for carbon dioxide. Over time this CO2 tolerance training resets the breathing centre in your brain stem and allows you to tolerate higher and higher levels of CO2, in turn, increasing longevity.
I have learnt to live by the Okinawans' (historically been known for longevity) concept of taygay (translated as “easygoing personality”), which is based on the idea that life simply unfolds at its own pace.
Quality sleep:
Making sure that you're getting 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night is crucial for the body to get rid of toxic waste and repair its cells. Chronic poor sleep quality is associated with increased signs of intrinsic ageing and diminished skin barrier function.
Whilst the ageing is inevitable, we can slow down the visible aging process through cosmetic procedures; such as anti-wrinkle treatments and hyaluronic acid-based fillers. These simple, quick and non-invasive procedures can contribute to the prevention, regeneration, and delaying of skin ageing - helping you age gracefully.
If you're wanting to look further into this topic of anti-ageing, I'd highly recommend the book The Blue Zones, written by Dan Buettner. The book discovers which populations in the world had the highest number of centenarians (people who live to be over one hundred) and teaching the world how to use the lessons from these populations. Establishing the five Blue Zones; Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and the Seventh-Day Adventists in Loma Linda, California. Also unpacking the practices and way of life that the people in these zones shared.
Overall, if you want to slow down the ageing process from the inside-out, incorporate these simple lifestyle choices and age gracefully!
With love,
B
Resources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7400286/
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045%2813%2970366-8/fulltext