Is It Possible To Live Longer and Healthier?

At the tender age of almost 42, I have noticed the twinges in my knees as I chase my toddler at the park and the niggle in my lower back as I lift my 8 month old out of the cot. I’d love to take a dip in the Fountain of Youth but alas in reality this pool doesn’t exist.

So what is healthy aging and what can we do to improve our longevity?

As we age our cells become less efficient and are more prone to damage which results in a decline in our physical health and mental function. We are also more at risk of age related diseases like heart disease, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Experts out there are now looking at Longevity, which is the study of increasing life span and improving the quality of life as we age. Let’s face it we all want to have a good quality of life for the time we spend here so what can we do?

For me I think the most important thing is to nourish your brain. With neurodegenerative diseases on the rise the brain has to take centre stage! It’s surprisingly easy to nourish your brain as it only needs food, oxygen and stimulation to be healthy.

Brain food comes in the form of glucose (sugar), fat or ketones and there is promising research that The Mediterranean Diet is just what your brain needs. It is full of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fish & other seafood and unsaturated fats like olive oil with very little red meat, eggs and no sugary sweets or processed foods.  If following a specific diet type isn’t for you, a general rule for general health is to eat foods from nature. If nature made it, it’s probably good for you! If it didn’t, it’s probably not.

Getting oxygen to the brain is easy… you guessed it… exercise!! Being physically active not only drives more oxygen to your brain but the movement also stimulates your brain! By simply doing 15 minutes of exercise per day you may also add 3 years to your lifespan! Other ways to stimulate your brain include continual learning, staying socially connected (this may help you live up to 50% longer) and trying new things.

Good sleep has been linked to longevity but interestingly researchers are discovering that it isn’t necessarily the 8 hours sleep that count but the consistency of those hours. Longevity is likely linked to regular sleeping patterns and that when there is inconsistency (for example, you sleep from 10pm to 6am weeknights then are up a lot later & sleep later on weekends) we actually cause our body to experience a mild state of jetlag!! It is the consistency in our wake and sleep times that balances the chemicals in our brains that allow us to get a good night’s sleep. These chemicals also have an impact on brain health (see, the brain just needs to be centre stage).

Lastly, managing stress is super important as we all know chronic stress has been linked with a range of health problems. Whether you’re into massage, meditation or require the support of a trained counselling professional, finding what helps manage your stress is critical. It will probably come as no surprise but happy people may live up to 18% longer than those who are less happy.

If you want more tips on what it takes to live a long and healthy life head to our facebook or instagram pages because this months videos are all about longevity!!