Studies show that if we break down the factors contributing to one’s longevity, a mere 25% is attributed to genetics or one’s biological makeup. The other 75% depends on the way we think and the choices we make.
Thus, the principle of Un-aging is based on the idea that—although our chronological age is a given since it refers to how many years we have lived on this earth, we can still control the rate at which we age or our biological age.
Un-aging addresses how to prevent, slow, or reverse the effects of aging. It not only includes nutrition, physical fitness, skin care, hormone replacements, and similar; it also includes anti-aging psychology, e.g., attitudes, beliefs, and coping skills for resiliently handling change, stress, and aging.
All of these factors contribute to the state of our internal body clock.
Although most believe that a body clock is something intangible, on the contrary, it refers to something very tangible and specific because the measure or one’s body clock is related to the length of so-called telomeres.
Telomeres are the caps on the ends of our chromosomes or DNA strands. They are like the tips of shoelaces, Without these plastic tips on the ends of our shoelaces, the shoelaces quickly start unraveling. The same is true of our DNA. As we age our telomeres gradually get shorter and shorter. When our telomeres get too short our DNA is no longer protected. Thus, when cells divide, errors will be made causing cancer and other chronic medical conditions. Eventually, our telomeres get too short to maintain life.
Fortunately, there are things we can do now to lengthen our telomeres and reverse aging at the cellular level. By making these changes now, we can reverse our biological age and dramatically slow the overall aging process.
Here is a list of ways to reverse your biological age:
1. Eat healthy.
Many studies have shown that a healthy diet can reverse or slow telomere aging. In particular, diets high in whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, fish, nuts, seeds, and legumes can protect our telomeres from shortening. Sugar, processed foods, and processed meats have the opposite effect to our telomeres.
2. Lead an active lifestyle.
Studies show that regular exercising slowed telomere aging by about 10 years. The message here is clear, exercise can reverse or slow the aging process.
3. Maintain an ideal weight.
Being conscious of of our weight is more than just cosmetic or a means for us to have a positive self-image. Being overweight is another cause of premature aging. Carrying excessive weight causes oxidative stress, or “rusting,” to our cells resulting in telomere shortening and premature aging.
4. Get enough sleep.
Ideally, we should sleep at least 7 hours a day. Sleep is when our bodies go into repair mode. We need this repair process functioning optimally if we want to reverse our biologic age and “grow younger.”
5. Manage stress and strive to be happy.
While we cannot avoid stress, we can change how we perceive stress and we can block the effects of stress on our telomeres through mindfulness, meditation, etc. Maintain a positive attitude by connecting with friends and family. Social connection was shown to be an additional way to keep our telomeres long and prevent loneliness, which is a powerful predictor of heart disease.
The decisions we make every day determine whether or not we grow old. By taking the steps outlined above, we can immediately reverse our biological age by about 10 years.
