Can you delay aging? The answer is yes. These are 4 proven anti-aging techniques.
Slowing down aging – is it possible?
I know what you’re thinking: an article about anti-aging, Danny has passed 35! long time ago.
And yes – I have to admit – my stage of life definitely has to do with this new interest. But it’s more than that.
Aging is the cause of a lot of misery . And in recent years it has received more and more attention. There is a cautious optimism among a group of anti-aging scientists.
Why? Not only do there appear to be very practical ways to slow down aging – there may also be ways to reverse aging in the future .
You read it right.
Admittedly, there is still a lot of uncertainty. The positive results have been demonstrated in mice – and mice are not humans. In addition, this kind of technology is unlikely to be widely available until the 1940s or 1950s.
But that also means that many of us will have the opportunity to experience this revolution – if we live long enough, of course.
Which brings us to the question, “How can we slow down aging?”
Serious anti-aging is a three-stage rocket:
- Slowing down aging – we can start with this today.
- Pause aging – this may be possible within 10-20 years.
- Reversing aging – this is still in the future for a while, but perhaps within a few decades.
The more researchers learn about how aging works, the more we also learn how to slow it down. Applying these kinds of insights can in itself possibly stick to your life for years – provided you are not hit by a self-driving truck in the meantime, of course.
Slowing down aging is a big topic. In this article, I want to take you through four scientifically proven (and natural) ways to slow down aging.
No exotic supplements or extreme measures, but things you can start with today. Moreover, they are habits that can directly increase your health, energy and overall quality of life.
Let’s see!
1. Get your body out of the comfort zone
If one common thread emerges from the anti-aging studies, it is this: too much physical comfort causes accelerated aging .
When your body is constantly too comfortable, it becomes ‘lazy’. When challenged a little it makes itself stronger (emphasis on a little – prolonged pressure on the system is actually harmful).
Your body cleans itself up (autophagy), renews itself more effectively and prepares for future misery – keeping it young longer as a by-product.
So you want to regularly get your body out of that comfort zone, so that it has to work a little harder. Then the trick is to do that in a relatively comfortable way , so that life still remains fun.
So you want to sit and hang out less, eat less, eat less often and not always live in room temperature.
How can you do that?
- Intermittent fasting – by regularly not eating anything for a longer period of time, you set all kinds of desirable processes in motion. Fasting is an important and effective way to slow down aging. If slowing down aging is important to you, start here (combined with the next tip). Also listen: Lose weight & get healthier – discover 20 benefits of intermittent fasting (podcast)
- Sports and exercise – by physically challenging your body you slow down aging and possibly extend your life considerably. You also feel a lot happier if you exercise regularly. Sports and exercise should definitely be part of an effective anti-aging routine.
- Exposing yourself to the cold – there’s something behind the cold shower hype that really works. You may be able to slow down aging by regularly getting out in the cold. Incidentally, ice baths are not necessary. As soon as you get a little cold it starts to have an effect. Turn down the heat and challenge yourself not to put on a coat when you’re feeling a little chilly. Your body will eventually get used to it!
- Exposing yourself to heat – there’s no definitive evidence yet on the life-prolonging effects of saunas, but there’s some evidence. It could very well be that a regular sauna visit slows down aging.
- Eat less protein – a high-protein diet may be nutritious and effective for building muscle, but it’s not a recipe for longevity. A diet low in proteins ensures that your body ages less quickly.
By taking your body out of its comfort zone, you will age less quickly. All right, let’s move on.
2. Opt for a plant-based diet
Plant-based means you get most of your calories from unprocessed, plant-based foods . It is not necessarily the same as a plant-based diet, because sometimes it still contains a small amount of animal products.
Basically it’s very simple: avoid processed products to slow down aging .
Build your diet from unprocessed vegetables, leafy vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains. For example, use an 80/20 rule: 80% healthy, 20% possibly slightly less healthy.
The traditional Mediterranean diet has been the most researched and scores well for anti-aging. This diet is largely plant-based, with the occasional fish, a red wine here and there and no refined sugars .
It is not the same as our modern associations with Mediterranean food: pasta, wine, white bread, olive oil, meat, fish and cheese.
More vegetables, less mess – that’s how you add years to your life.
3. Prevent Accelerated Aging
There are factors that simply make us age faster. By avoiding these things we can gain a lot of ground:
- Do not smoke
- Drinking little or no alcohol
- Eating little or no refined sugar
- Avoiding unprotected sun exposure
- Avoiding Excessive Stress
- Working on good, stable, regular and sufficient sleep
- Avoid being overweight
- Avoid processed and red meat
Of course you already knew that these factors are not good for you . People who do all these things tend to look older. The factors don’t just reduce your health – they statistically have a direct negative impact on your longevity.
4. Reduce your chance of premature death
Most people die from a handful of diseases linked to aging – such as:
- Cancer
- Heart and vascular disease
- Dementia
However, your biological aging does not equate to your calendar age.
If you’ve been smoking, drinking excessively, sleeping badly, sunbathing, feeling stressed, and constantly eating processed meats , your body is biologically older than the body of a peer who largely avoids these things.
The stronger that biological aging, the greater your chance of dying from a disease linked to aging. Yet it is never too late to adjust your lifestyle and repair (some of) the damage.
What can you do to reduce your risk of premature death?
- For the most part, it comes down to following the aforementioned lifestyle advice. Make your body stronger, eat healthy, exercise more and avoid negative influences.
- Protect yourself from the sun.
- Reduce your exposure to (potentially) harmful chemicals, pollutants and pollution.
- Take your health seriously . It is wise to have your health checked regularly, for example by the doctor. You can also pay for various preventive examinations yourself.
- Participate in population studies when you receive an invitation. It may be exciting and uncomfortable, but timely diagnosis can significantly extend your life.
- Increase insight into your health. For example, by wearing a smartwatch. These can tell you a lot about the state of your body in the long run.
- Stay informed about innovations in preventive medicine and technological breakthroughs around anti-aging. In the coming years, many new tools will come on the market to gain more insight into your health and to make adjustments where necessary.
By being actively involved in your health, you can potentially add decades to your life. Who knows, maybe you’ll get old enough this way to be able to use real anti-aging therapies!
Happy Aging !!!
