Lifestyle and Aging

Lifestyle choices that can Increase Lifespan

Submitted by Bradley on Wed, 10/10/2007 - 10:38. Tags:

There are a large number of lifestyle choices that effect quite strongly our ‘actual’ age.  These choices can result in an individual’s chronological age differing massively from their actual age.  A selection of eight of the lifestyle choices that have the most powerful effects on longevity are listed below.

  • Exercise
    There are three distinct parts to a comprehensive fitness programs, First you should try to burn off a minimum of 3,500 calories per week. Next, try to participate in activities that increase your heart rate to 70 percent of maximum for 60 minutes a week. Thirdly, try to perform strength and flexibility exercise for at least 30 minutes per week.;
  • Lower your blood pressure to 110/75
    This alone can take 10 years of your chronological age.
  • Passive smoking
    In terms of lifespan, the act of being in a room were smokers are for one hour is the equivalent of smoking four cigarettes yourself.
  • Family History
    Research your family health in order to determine any genetic risk factors that you might be exposed to. For example if heart disease is endemic in your family, take precautions to keep your blood pressure and cholesterol at healthy levels.
  • Stress and Social Activities
    Having a fun and full social life helps to relieve stress and anxiety, which directly reduces the stress to your immune system.  This results in a healthier immune system and an increased likelihood of a longer lifespan.
  • Keep an eye on your general Health
    Always be aware of any health problems that may be effecting you.  Check for lumps or discoloured moles, be aware of any unusual weaknesses or such symptoms as blurred vision.  Basically, if you are experiencing any unusual physical symptoms, then see a Doctor as soon as possible.  Catching a severe illness early, can be the difference between life and death.
  • Hormone replacement therapy
    Restoring the balance of hormones in postmenopausal women by using HRT can greatly increase health and vigour.  By working with their doctors to nail down a HRT regimen that works for them can mean that by age 70, a woman can reduce her real age by up to eight years.
  • Chronic Disease
    Learning how to manage chronic diseases like diabetes will minimize the impact of such diseases.

The results of a US Census Bureau projection showed that nearly 9 million of the 80 million baby boomers are predicted to live into their late 90s and of those, 3 million will make it to a century. Incorporating the above steps into your life now, could help you to have a more enjoyable and healthier dotage.

The Top Ten Antioxidant Foods

Submitted by marksdarcy on Mon, 09/10/2007 - 14:52. Tags:

Tomatoes

Tomatoes contain lycopene. This is one of the rarer carotenoids and has twice the antioxidant affects of beta carotene (also a very potent antioxidant). Lycopene is also present in pink grapefruit. A number of studies have shown that adult males who include tomatoes or tomato based products such as tomato sauce in their diets, have a much reduced incidence of prostate cancer. Lycopen has also shown the possibility of reducing the likelihood of developing other cancers, including colon, lung and breast. Tomatoes are most beneficial when cooked. Ingesting tomatoes with some sort of oil is the best way to make the most out of this foodstuff. This is because lycopene is fat soluble and can therefore enter the system much more readily if accompanied by some form of oil or fat.

Berries

Blackberries, blueberries and raspberries are high in proanthocyanidins. These are antioxidants that have been linked with preventing both heart disease and various cancers. Strawberries, blackberries and raspberries all contain ellagic acid. This is a compound that helps to neutralise carcinogens.

Spinach

The macula is the section the eye that is most sensitive to light. The main pigment in this part of the eye is lutein, an antioxidant found in spinach. Macular damage and cataracts have been found in several studies to develop less in people who regular eat spinach.

Whole Grains

Grains are a good source of Vitamin E, a very powerful antioxidant. This vitamin has been found to help protect against various cancers, particularly cancer of the prostate. It also has been shown to strengthen the immune system and to slow down the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Whole grains are also high in phytic acid (IP-6). This is a strong antioxidant that has been shown to help protect against breast, liver and colonic cancers.

Garlic

Garlic has been found to lower cholesterol levels and to reduce blood pressure. There have been some studies that also link the intake of garlic in the diet with preventing the onset of cancer. Garlic has also been found to exhibit certain anti-fungal properties.

Broccoli

Broccoli contains a compound called indole-3-carbinol (I3C). This is a strong antioxidant with the ability to break down oestrogen. Reduced levels of oestrogen have been found to lower the likelihood of developing breast cancer, cervical cancer and cancer of the ovary. The other important antioxidant present in broccoli is beta carotene. This very potent antioxidant has been shown to help protect against heart disease and various cancers.

Tea (have a cupa :-)

Catechins are present in green tea and are oxidised in black tea to form theaflavins. Both of these compounds are antioxidants and are 'equally' beneficial in neutralising free radicals. Studies have shown that drinking either green or black tea significantly reduces the risk of cancer, strokes and heart disease.

Soy

Soy contains Genistein and Isoflavones. Soy has been found to reduce Low density lipoprotien (LDL cholesterol) whilst leaving unaffected the levels of High density lipoprotien (HDL cholesterol). This reduces the chances of developing heart disease. More specifically Genistein has been found in a number of studies to reduce susceptibility to cancers of the colon, breast and prostate.

Carrots

The very potent antioxidant beta carotene is present in carrots. This antioxidant has been found in a number of studies to offer some protection against a variety of types of cancers, particularly lung cancer. Other types of cancers which beta carotene may help to protect against include breast, bladder, stomach and esophageal. Heart disease has been shown to be much reduced in people who have a good source of beta carotene in their diet. Cooking the carrots is the best way to ensure that the optimal level of beta carotene is ingested. This is probably due to the process of heating making the beta carotene more available for digestion.

Red Grapes

Red grapes (and red wine for that matter) contain the substances quercetin and resveratrol.  Resveratrol helps protect against cancers, reduces the likelihood of having a stroke, developing inflammatory diseases and osteoporosis. Together with quercetin, resveratrol is also a potent antioxidant and these two substances are powerful free radical scavengers.

Articles

  • What is Gerontology

    I think it might be worth defining on this site (just so there is no confusion) what exactly the science of Gerontology is.

    The subject known as Gerontology is the study of the process of aging throughout the lifespan of an individual. This multi-disciplinary subject analyses a variety of aspects of aging, including the physical, mental and social changes in individuals as they grow older. Professionals from a variety of diverse, but interconnected fields are known collectively as gerontologists.

    Gerontology covers such varied subjects as the effects of our aging population on society, including the financial effects of pensions, health insurance and retirement planning. How society itself views the elderly is also encompassed in this field.

    Gerontology distinguishes itself from geriatrics, the branch of medicine that studies the diseases of the old.

    12:18 10 October 2007
  • Research into Aging

    There are several other ways that are being looked into that may offer may anti-aging/life extension benefits that have not been mentioned as yet. IGF-1 has shown to be extraordinarily effective in reversing the aging process (up to 10X more effective than HGH). Resveratrol (found in red grape skins and hence red wine) has shown much promise in many studies; to the extent that several MIT researches doing one of the studies started supplimenting with it. Folate and B12 taken daily over a few months has been shown to drastically reduce the damage/mutation that can occur to DNA.

    With regard to calorie restriction Many studies suggest that it is not infact the calorie restriction as previously thought but rather maintaining low insulin levels, which happens to be a by product. So it is as much about what you eat as how much you eat. You could still each 3000 calories a day as long as they were from foods that didnt spike your insulin levels and mess with your insulin sensetivity ie not eating many simple carbohydrates etc

    There is also the energetic side of body or life force or call it what you will that when boosted has been shown to reverse chronic illness and aging with no form of supplements etc. Most of the centurian populations like the hunza etc incorporated some sort of meditation or practice that maintained their life force either knowingly or otherwise along with a good diet, exercise, sun etc and low stress.

    On a final note the human body is so remarkable and truely an amazing creation and we are still only so limited in our understanding of it and how it really works that rather than mess with it and start trying to fix or add this or that or think we can make part of it better we should instead address the cause of most of these problems. We drive ourselves and our bodies into the ground eat rubbish etc and program ourselve with mindless entertainment and wonder why we are falling apart and expect to be able to take a few pills and make it all better.

    We are creating and living in a society that is becoming void of any real sustanance whether it be nutritional, emotional or intellecutal. I am not pretending that i have all the answers but i know that if we keep heading in this direction i wouldnt want to live forever even if it were possible. What you do with your life is probably more important than how long it is. In any case given the right environment the body will flourish and the fact that it is still doing as well as it is despite what it is now subjected to is nothing more than a testement to how great it actually is.

    Rhonda Watson

    12:07 17 September 2007

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