Can aging be slowed or reversed?
Posted on 15. Sep, 2009 by admin in Health
Recently I have received a number of requests for information about increasing longevity and reversing the problems of aging. Whether this is because I look so young and beautiful or just because I am in the holistic health field, I will leave up to you. (However, to blow my own horn, at the ripe old age of 69 I do get a lot of comments saying that I look younger than my age—maybe only 68-and-a-half).
Anyway, the recent requests inspired me to pull together my thoughts about aging and longevity, and I decided that I would put my ideas down in writing and pass them along to my friends, clients, and acquaintances while I had it all fresh in my mind. The following are the recommendations which I have been giving to those who ask about extending longevity, staying healthy as we age, and maintaining mental sharpness.
First, I will just briefly mention the longevity aids which everyone already knows about: exercise, healthy eating and lifestyle habits, and weight control. Sorry, folks, but numerous medical studies show that people who exercise regularly and keep their weight on the slim side will live longer, stay mentally sharp to an older age, and stay active and enjoy life more. Healthy eating means shifting your diet away from highly processed foods and toward more natural “whole” foods and avoiding foods full of artificial sweeteners and other chemicals. A healthy lifestyle includes avoiding smoking, drinking alcohol only moderately, and getting adequate regular sleep.
This is where people usually say to me, “Okay, so someone who is perfect will live a long and healthy life, but is there anything that I can realistically do to help myself that is simple and doesn’t involve totally up-ending my life?” Well, yes there is. I have spent a lot of time in recent years researching aging and longevity (its funny how this topic becomes more interesting to me as the decades pile up) and I have found a few things that work. There are lots of claims for a wide array of products in this anti-aging field, and most of them have no real evidence that they offer any genuine positive effect. The following are a few of the ones which I think are “do-able” for most people and have the best research evidence for providing substantial benefit.
1. Meditation. Medical studies have shown that as little as 20 or 30 minutes of meditation three or four times a week can actually make a big difference in health in a number of ways. First, for some reason it seems to improve immune function and extend longevity. Even more impressive, it seems to stop and even reverse one of the main problems which come with aging: in most people, as they age the parts of the brain that perform memory and concentration functions seem to gradually shrink and become weaker. When meditation is performed regularly, these areas of the brain actually grow and become stronger! Memory and concentration improve! If you are not a person who feels that you are good at meditation, then listening to a pre-recorded meditation or “guided imagery” or hypnosis session works just as well. The key is to get into a deeply relaxed mental state on a regular basis. Guided meditation recordings are available at many book stores, or can be ordered through a variety of mail-order sources.
2. This tip is not widely publicized yet, but there are current ongoing medical studies which indicate that regular supplementation with the combination of alpha-lipoic acid and acetyl-l-carnatine will significantly restore youth of both body and mind, especially mental functioning. You want to get good quality (don’t buy supplements at discount stores or even your local chain drug store or supermarket, but look for a good naturopath or quality health food store.) Fortunately, some good reputable companies are catching on to this combination and are starting to include them in multi-ingredient formulas.
3. One of the best way that I have found for promoting health, longevity, and mental function is to drink a daily dose of a high-anti-oxidant juice blend which includes such things as blueberry, strawberry, pomegranate, acai berry, or Goji berry. Some researchers believe that the most potent of the lot is Goji, a berry which was discovered in the Ningxia province of China. Researchers were studying this area of China because of the unusual longevity of many of the native peasants, who often were enjoying active and alert lives well over the age of 100, and some even living to 120 ! The researchers finally determined that this exceptional longevity came from an unusual berry which grew wild in this region of China. The name of this berry is the “Goji” berry, or in English the “Wolfberry,” (or, in Latin, the lycium barbarum). A number of companies are now selling juice made from the Goji berry.
4. Research has consistently found that one of the best aids to good health and longevity is “life-contentment.” A person who feels that they are living a fulfilling and purposeful life and maintains a positive attitude will feel healthier and live longer! My book, Steering Your Way Through Life; A Guide To Being Happy, Purposeful, And Fulfilled, is an excellent resource for achieving a positive and healthy state of life-contentment. Click on the “Tom’s Book” icon to learn more about the book.
Give these ideas a try, and in a few decades or so I hope to see you at a centenarians’ convention !
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