I know many people are dependent
on the knowledge they hear from doctors or from what they hear on TV or in casual
conversation. I have studied anti-aging and longevity in my journey towards
finding the best foods ever. I have come across a lot of key ideas and wellness
concepts that I believe if incorporated into your life will stack the longevity
odds in your favor.
For starters I do believe the
belief system affects us on a genetic level. It just makes sense to me. There
is a reason why as you think about things your heart rate goes up or your hair
stands on your arms. Same goes for the feeling you get when certain songs come
on the radio. That connection between your mind and your soul is really the
communication between your mind and every cell in your body. You have the inert
power to control your genes by controlling your thoughts and what you eat. We
all have heard you are what you eat. Have you heard you are what you think? I
believe it is just as powerful because it controls your stress levels and your
ability to stay healthy. Let’s take a look at a quick action plan that we could
start today to take ourselves on a positive journey towards living to 125 years
old. (I would be happy with 100 but aim for 125)
I know you have heard this
before but you need to find a way to add more fruits and vegetables to your
diet. Even the new food pyramid has increased the daily consumption up to 9 to
12 servings a day. This is almost impossible for most people so you need to do
whatever you can to come close to that even if it means getting fruit and
vegetable supplements in capsule or powder form that you can take on the go. It
is a step in the right direction. We need to also stop putting toxins into our
bodies. Get rid of the hydrogenated oils, the high fructose corn syrups, the
pesticides and herbicides, the food preservatives, the dirty water and the
dirty air. Dirty air can be a tough one because there are so many factors.
Don’t leave your windows closed all winter. Open them at least for 15 minutes a
day to circulate the air. Another good suggestion is plants. Plants absorb
carbon dioxide and oxygenate your house. Some good oxygenating plants are
bamboo plants, chinese evergreen plants, Aloe Vera, and spider plants.
We also need to fight all the
free radicals that are being generated in our bodies with some healthy antioxidants.
These are best obtained from berries which come packed with 1000’s of other
substances which work together to help our immune system and our cells.
Exercising daily is another huge help for your body. Strength training
especially has been known to increase human growth hormones which have been
noted for their anti-aging properties. So many people go to anti-aging clinics
which is a step in the right direction but some of the same benefits can be
obtained from strength training.
There are some foods in
particular that I have read about that seem to be getting a lot of anti-aging
attention. Resveratrol which is found in grape skin, grape seeds, peanuts and
raspberries are well known anti-aging substances except most people associate
it with red wine. However an overdose on red wine diminishes the affect in my
opinion because of the toxicity of the added alcohol on the liver. In
moderation, however, it can be a great way to reduce stress and add
antioxidants. Coconut oil, which unfortunately most people say is bad for them,
is actually an amazing product. It is good on your skin, it is one of the only
oils I will cook with and recent studies have noted its anti-aging properties.
Omega 3’s have always got a huge standing ovation on the anti-aging front
because the Japanese who consume so much of it have a much longer life span
than the western world. I get Omega 3’s from flax seed, hemp seed, avocadoes
and Krill oil.
Some other general items of
interest in the arena of longevity is too eat less. This can be difficult for most
people especially athletes who need carbs for fuel. However, whenever possible
in between training cycles, or for one day here or there, eating lightly has
been proven to help us live longer. Tests have been done in Russia
By implementing some of these
ideas I believe you will light a spark plug in your
longevity
engine of life. It is true that there are people that have lived extremely long
lives on this planet. They help their genes by putting good foods in their
bodies. Don’t get tricked into thinking you are doomed because of your genes.
Only 25% of your fate or less is decided by your genes and it is your lifestyle
that not only affects the other 75% but will also act as a trigger on any “bad”
genes that you think you have. The gene is the loaded gun. Your lifestyle is
the trigger. Don’t pull the trigger and you may just live longer than you
“think”.
You
can take this to any level you want.
Level
A – Xtreme Health™
Follow all the suggestions in
this article over the course of the next several months
Level B - Much better than most people
Eat more
fruits and vegetables, exercise daily, believe you can in fact live a long life
and feel vibrant and strong even as you age to over 100
Level
C – A step above what you’re doing now
Stop taking in the bad foods. At
least one day a week eat organic meals and celebrate the great foods that the
earth has given to us.
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