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#Most of us are probably a bit scared about age-related conditions happening to our family, friends & ourselves, and most of us have been witness to age-related conditions. Research is showing that diseases like Cancer, Alzheimer's, Diabetes & Strokes have a common root cause - the process of aging. This blog post will show you how to slow, stop & reverse aging, and stay younger for longer.

#This information is based on David Sinclair’s book ‘Lifespan: Why we age - and why we don’t have to’. It details the current cutting edge science on explaining aging at its root cause, & why diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's, diabetes & strokes emerge in old age. Other information is taken from Dave Aspery’s Bulletproof podcast & books, as well as Dr. Micheal Mosley’s books & documentaries. Although we don’t know what’s in store for us as we age, research is showing that we can dramatically increase our odds of living a healthier & longer lifespan through lifestyle changes & drugs. It’s not at odds to say you could live to near to or over 100 years old healthily by employing these suggestions & future medical advancements in the near future.

Exercise

#Concentrate on HIIT (high-intensity interval training) exercises. Whatever gets you out of breath is better. This could be as easy as running upstairs or a hill, short sprint on an exercise bike, skipping rope, or sprint in the pool. The doctor, Michael Mosley has good stuff on this (https://documentarylovers.com/film/the-truth-about-exercise/).

#Do strength exercises like weights, or sports like rock-climbing, kayaking or surfing.

#Do more movement. Look for exercises that have a range of movements, like swimming and Pilates.

#Note on exercise. It’s by applying short controlled stresses to the body that activate our longevity genes. So a lot of these are about stressing our body in this way. But it also means not stressing our body when it is run down, or pushing ourselves too far over the edge. It’s finding that balance.

#Doing exercise while run-down is more detrimental to our bodies than if we rested. Rest on the days you've had a lack of sleep, feeling particularly stressed or run down, and go harder on the days you know you are feeling well.

#Although walking is good, & you should do more, it’s not activating our longevity genes in the same way as HIIT & strength training are.

#Reduce time sitting in the same position: Your best position is your next position.

Eat less often (fast & skip meals)

#This is a dreaded one by many. Basically eating less food less often (or doing intermittent fasting) can activate our longevity genes. Again it’s a short (although doesn't feel like it) controlled stress we put on our bodies, that activates a very ancient repair system in our genes.

Leaving the table before we feel fully full is one way to eat less.
Intermittent fasting (in which we restrict our calorie window not the amount of calories.) is another way. Again Michael Mosely has good stuff on this, particularly his book ‘Fast 800’. There are different types of intermittent fasting, so choose one that works for you. There are ways people do fasting in which you still can consume fat (such as the bulletproof fast), which may also work better for you. (Michael Mosley ‘Eat, Fast and Live Longer’ documentary )

#Fasting is a bit like exercise, in that it can be hard at the start to get in a habit & last very long before stopping, but as we learn to control our stress response, & ‘make it through’ more fasts, the easier it becomes. You don't want your body to become overly stressed. If so you do feel like it is, it might be a good idea to eat & try again another day.

Expose your body to cold temperature

#Through exposing our bodies to cold temperatures, we activate our longevity genes. Ways you can do this is if you live in a cold climate, go for a brisk walk in the cold without a jumper.

#Going swimming in a cold sea, creek or lake. It doesn’t have to be long, people do it for 30 seconds to four minutes or more.

#Taking a cold shower or setting up a cold tub (a chest freezer you keep water in that is 0-4 degrees celsius, and sit in it for 30seonds to 4minutes. This might be a good option if you live in a hot climate.) At your exercise centre, there might be cold pools you can go in. You can jump into a hot shower or sauna straight away afterward & still enjoy the benefits (remember, it’s the short controlled stress we are after).

#There are some places that offer cryotherapy in most cities. It’s a chamber you stand in that drops to -110 degrees Celsius using liquid nitrogen. (Apparently, it is a lot more tolerable then cold showers.)

#Sleep with a window open if you live in a cold climate.

#Look into the Wim Hoff method which involves taking ice baths & breathing techniques.

#Cold therapy could be the easiest method with the potential for greatest results.

#Note: If you can combine exercise with cold water exposure, like swimming in a cold sea or creek, the better.

Exposure to hot temperatures

#The main one here is taking regular saunas or hot baths like in geothermal pools, or just a hot bath at your house.

#Note: For both cold & hot exposures, no matter how much you do, it’s going to help, but trying to do it once each day (again as long as your body is not stressed or run-down) is great. People who do cold therapy, jump straight in a hot shower or sauna afterward, so a good way of doing both hot & cold.

Food

#Eating less animal protein can engage our longevity genes, & activates our ancient survival repair system. If you eat meat seven days a week, consider cutting back to three to four days a week. (This could be the reason we see higher rates of heart disease in people who eat meat because their longevity genes are getting engaged less.)

#Aim to eat stressed plants. These are normally plants with much deeper colors in their stem. Organic & home-grown plants are usually a better bet for this reason. By eating stressed plants who themselves are engaging their longevity genes, it will tell our cells to engage our longevity genes as well.

Supplements

Collagen - you normally find it from beef (make sure it’s grass fed) & marine sources. Your body produces less as you age, & is responsible for keeping our body together.
Turmeric or Curcumin - helps reduce inflammation. Make sure you take with oil for best ingestion.
Vitamin C - can find it at most shops. Vitamin C is a very low investment, high reward antioxidant, that is key in a lot of biological processes including production of collagen.
Vitamin D - this is the molecule created from being in the Sun. It’s recommended that it’s taken with Vitamin K & Vitamin A. These are normally added in the same tablet.
Fish oil tablets for omega-3. It’s suggested you look for tablets made from fish low in the food chain like Krill.
Glutathione - another antioxidant that can help reduce DNA breakage. (Milk Thistle supplements also work by increasing the body's production of Glutathione).
B12 supplement - especially if you're on a vegan or vegetarian diet.

Medicinal Mushrooms & Plants

Ashwagandha
Cordyceps
Lion’s Mane
Reishi
Shiitake
Turkey Tail

Herbs, Spices & Teas

#Adding more herbs & spices to your food is a very good idea. They contain a lot more polyphenols than regular vegetables.

#Some examples:

Spices: Cloves, star anise, capers, curry powder, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric.
Herbs: Peppermint, oregano, sage, rosemary, thyme, basil, lemon verbena, parsley, marjoram (think more pestos)
Teas: Cocoa, green tea, black tea, ginger tea, red wine. And a lot of other herbal teas.
Dark berries: elderberry, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries. And other more wild/exotic berries.

Drugs

#There have been a number of drugs that have been shown to increase the effectiveness of our longevity genes & reduce the effects of aging. (I strongly urge you to talk to a doctor before taking these supplements. Since NAD & Reservatol are sold as supplements, extensive long term human trials have not been conducted, and have no way of knowing potential side effects). I also would recommend younger people (less the 40yrs old) to not take these if they don’t have any premature aging conditions. There should be naturally high levels of NAD+ present already in their body, and by doing the above activities will create more. As we age (40+), the natural levels of NAD+ start declining.

#The anti-aging supplements are:

NMN (Nicotinamide mononucleotide) or you’ll also see NAD+. NMN is the precursor to NAD+. This supplement is quite in-expensive and has shown in quite a lot of studies to be effective at reducing aging. As we get older, we reduce our production of this molecule naturally. If you type nmn into google you get a lot of different brand options. I’ve never bought it, & don’t know what the different brands are. These one’s are australian owned & operated: https://eternumlabs.com.au/ https://www.extralifespan.com/
Resveratrol. This is another molecule that acts similar to NAD+. It naturally comes from the skins of grapes & wines, and their health properties are suggested to be linked to this molecule. You normally find resveratrol paired with NMN when buying it.
Metformin is the drug taken by people who have type-2 diabetes. It has been shown to again engage our longevity genes and reduce age related illnesses (cancer, Alziemer’s, strokes & diabetes). You have to have a prescription for metformin from a doctor to get it in Australia (basically only if you have diabetes, but it is getting more well known as an anti-aging drug, so may be able to get it for this). Again consult a doctor before using it.

Blood Test Checkup

#It’s worth getting a blood test at your doctors for an overview of your health, & doing it approx. four times a year.

#Some things to look into:

LDL vs HDL cholesterol
Basic metabolic panel
Complete Blood Count
Nutrient levels like Zinc, Magnesium, Copper, B12, Vitamin A etc.
Thyroid panel

#The second part of this post is about what you can do to reduce environmental factors that can speed up aging.

Reduce DNA breakage

#This sounds very scientific but the more times your DNA breaks, the more times it has to be repaired, the older your body gets. Although DNA breaking is a normal biological process & is needed for a healthy immune system, by reducing extra environmental influences can help slow your aging.

#Avoid high UV sun exposure, avoid unnecessary X-Rays, avoid coming into contact or smelling chemicals, avoid breathing in car-fumes, don’t smoke, avoid breathing fire smoke. If flying a lot, take antioxidants before flight as gamma rays cause DNA breakage.

#Most of this is common practice nowadays, but it’s good to be aware of things that could be aging you more.

#Sleeping better helps speed up DNA repair (this could be the main reason why we need sleep). Concentrating on the quality, not just the quantity is the route to go. This is through things like less blue light before bed, reducing your stress levels, darkening out the room, reducing noise, setting the room temperature to ideal, using weighted blankets, improving room airflow, not snoring (sleeping on your side you, or getting special pillows or mouthpieces to help). Also eating certain foods before bed (like prebiotic fiber & avoiding others like sugar) can help enter a deeper sleep (See Michael Mosley’s ‘Fast Asleep’ book).

#Foods

#Aim for a good diet like lots of vegetables & fruits. Lots of fiber & healthy fats (ghee, butter, MCT oil, avocados, salmon, ). Follow the normal advice you’ll see, like eating less processed foods & ‘junk’ food. Insulin resistance, by which the body starts ignoring the signal to take glucose out of the bloodstream, is deeply linked to age-related conditions. Eating high carb diets & sugar causes insulin resistance.

Gut Biome

#Take prebiotic fiber like inulin that feeds your gut bacteria. Go for prebiotics over probiotics. The reasoning for this is if we're not providing adequate food for our good bacteria to thrive (prebiotics), there's no point adding more in (probiotics).

Cooking

#Different cooking processes & food additives can cause more DNA breakage in our cells. Things to avoid are:

Nitrates in bacon (you can get nitrate free bacon)
Deep fried cooking process, especially in vegetable oils & oils that have been reheated. Avoid trans-fats.
It’s been shown that cows fed antibiotics & grain fed diets can cause DNA breakage once eaten. Get grass fed & no-antibiotics if possible.
Foods that have pesticide & herbicide residue on them can cause more DNA breakage. & kill our gut bacteria.
Using stainless steel or cast irons pots for cooking (especially when frying). Avoid Teflon & other non-stick pans.

Reduce your Stress

#The biggest contributor to aging faster (due to our DNA breaking more often) in our current world is probably prolonged stress. Whether that be from work commitments, family commitments, excessive worry or anxiety. Comments about hair loss through stress, or grey hair through stress are probably real.

#Although it can be hard to reduce these some things you could try:

Concentrate more on your hobbies & things you like doing
Reduce long work hours
Concentrate on your biggest stress factors like money or worry & see if you can reduce them.
Take up meditation (or try a neurofeedback device like the Muse) or some physical form of meditation like gardening, Tai Chi, Qigong or Yoga.

Future Advancements in Aging related diseases

#There is a lot of research & advancements happening related to aging-related diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's & diabetes, and addresses their root cause instead of just trying to mitigate the symptoms. A lot of work is around gene therapies & stem cell therapies. These ideas come back to the core reason why we age (information loss at the cellular level) & trying to prevent or reverse this from happening. If you struggle with mobility issues such as arthritis in particular joints, consider investigating stem cell treatments as an option.

#Aging can be scary. We don’t want to lose our memories or lose our ability to enjoy life. Even young people are experiencing premature aging from various causes. We don’t have to leave it up to chance. We can significantly change our chances of living a longer & healthier life, by making some lifestyle changes. Choose some that you find easier and see how you go from there.