Staying Younger As We Get Older

Staying Younger As We Get Older

What we do and think matters

Abundant data shows that cellular aging is directly affected by what we do, what we eat, and how we think.

Since this is all under our control we can theoretically manipulate the process of our aging. To do this well, it is useful to know which actions and beliefs will promote cellular health, and conversely, which behaviors and thoughts will accelerate aging.

As you read this book I hope you will come to understand the power that lifestyle, routines, thoughts, and attitudes have in shaping the quality and quantity of life you have.

What causes aging at a biological level?

Normally, we and our cells age because our telomeres, which are the protective end caps, or aglets of our chromosomes, shorten and allow DNA damage to occur. Our mitochondria, the energy powerhouses in our cells, decrease in number and work less well. Toxicities accumulate as they are less efficiently cleared.

Inflammation from all sources activates cellular aging. Irregular schedule, bad diet, poor sleep, inactivity, negative thoughts and attitudes, being sick, feeling lonely and disconnected are all examples of inflammatory events that trigger faster aging.

Daily Routine and Rituals

Daily routines and rituals are necessary for all adults. All of the cells have internal clocks. When our behavior is synchronized with the function of our cell clocks we are healthier. The cells know when it is time to eat and metabolize food, and when it is necessary to rest and repair.

Diet

A whole-food, plant-based diet creates healthy weight and cellular processes. People on plant-based diets live longer, get less cancers, fewer chronic diseases, and slower cognitive decline. Plant-based diets help grow bacteria in the gut that promote physical and emotional health.

Eat less and Fast more

People and mice who eat less age slower and live longer. During fasting, the body performs housekeeping and uses stored energy and fat. The body gets rid of old cells and toxicity. New stem cells are stimulated to fix what is broken.

Exercise Your Body

Exercise helps people live longer and get less cancers.

Exercise reduces inflammation, depression, and anxiety.

Exercise improves oxygen delivery to the body and brain. It maintains muscle mass and cell energy, while preventing frailty and bone loss.

The right amount of daily exercise and movement decreases inflammation.

Whereas, too much exercise (multiple marathons in one year) damages joints and causes inflammation.

Just Breathe

Our breath can help us sort things out. Slow deep breaths tell our stressed nervous system to calm down and Chil-lax. This then signals the body and mind to regroup and feel more ease. Take a deep breath with me now. In, 2, 3, 4, out, 2, 3, 4.

Sleep 7-8 hours a night

During sleep hormones are released that assist metabolism, growth, and repair. Lymphatic channels open, letting your nervous systems release toxicities accumulated during the day. Sleep prevents the shortening of telomeres induced by chronic stress.

Hormones

Hormones are required for reproduction and survival of all species. Humans now live longer than their hormone-producing systems last. This loss of hormones triggers cellular aging. By keeping hormone levels healthy throughout life we can maintain youthful metabolism.

Sexuality, Intimacy, and Touch

Intimacy and sexuality improve the quality of our relationships AND the health of our cells. Telomeres are longer in people who enjoy intimacy and sexuality.

Nurturing relationships and healthy foods keep good blood flow to the sex organs.

Touch and massage enhance the immune system and activate rapid response cells that keep us from harm should invading bacteria or viruses arrive.

Laugh and Cry Whenever you feel like it

Laughter and crying should be allowed because they function to prevent cellular damage and enhance health. They are spontaneous responses of the brain to events triggering emotion. They each have unique sequences of breath and sound patterns that help us humans recognize and communicate with each other.

Right, photo credit: Southern Rose Photography: Lyra + bridesmaids.

Being Connected to others is good for you

Connection. In all Blue Zone cultures, areas of the world where people live longer and healthier lives, individuals have strong connection to family, friends, and community. This gives their lives meaning and purpose.

Its nice to feel that we Belong here now

Belonging and Hope help sustain life. When things are tough being reminded that we belong and that our presence matters activates hope and self-healing systems that help cells remember to stay young. We become more resilient and able to envision the light at the end of the tunnel.

Neuroplasticity

Flexibility and beginner’s-mind are lubricants that nurture the machinery of the brain. Similarly, engaging in learning new things, and tackling challenging problems or puzzles, in need of new solutions, stimulate the birth of new brain cells and healthy new synaptic connections at all ages.

Process your Personal Trauma

We all carry accumulated trauma that causes pain, suffering, and loss of self-worth. We cope with attitudes and habits that limit us, and accelerate cellular aging.

It takes courage to face directly, sit with, and come to terms with what happened. Going through this process allows us to have self-love and compassion. It is then that we can create new life-giving self-narratives. These actions help us and our future generations.

Negative Emotions Make You Age Faster

Negative emotions are inflammatory and cause serious cellular damage. For example, heart attacks often happen after angry altercations. Anger is a result of feeling rejected, disrespected, or unseen. Efforts to understand and manage our emotions with healthier responses protect us from aging.

Attitude Matters: Learn to be Happier

We have a choice about our attitude. Positive emotions activate healing and repair systems that keep us younger and healthier.

We can choose to be happier and train ourselves to experience more joy and compassion for other and ourselves. Regularly finding things to be grateful for helps us to be happier. Did you know that optimists live 11-15% longer?

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of learning to be fully aware of the present moment without assumptions, judgements or expectations.

While it is not easy to always see things exactly as they are, this practice has been shown to be beneficial in many medical domains.

It decreases pain and suffering of the body and mind, helps patients deal better with cancer and chronic illness, and it improves intimacy in sexual relationships.

Meditation

Meditation is an exercise that lets the mind “Just Be” for a period of time while we are awake.

This practice helps re-boot the operating system of our brains, and grow parts of the brain involved in memory, emotions, and compassion.

Meditation retrains the nervous system to calm down and this insulates us from the damaging effects of daily stress.

I believe this is one of the most cost-effective and powerful things you can learn to do to enhance the entire quality of life.

At The End, Do It Right

Living fully at the end of life takes some planning. Engaging hospice early decreases suffering for everyone and extends life. This allows time for relationships to be mended.

Living consistently with our core values minimizes end of life regrets and helps create a legacy that truly reflects us.

Beatriz R Olson

Beatriz R Olson was born in Cuba. She came to US as political immigrant in 1970. She is a graduate of Barnard College and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. This short book combines her 2019 art with current data about how our actions and thoughts directly affect how we and our cells age.

This work was presented at The Long Wharf Theater in New Haven on October 23, 2019 as part of Pecha Kucha New Haven #37: Older but Younger Series. 3rd Edition © Beatriz Olson, 2021