Sunday, February 28, 2010

Top 5 Habits to Increase Longevity

Is it really possible for anyone to live happily to 100? The good news is that your body was designed to be 100 - you just have to get out of the way.

Getting out of the way means taking an honest look at the habits and lifestyle you are living with today. Most of us have developed habits that limit our true health potential.

But don't let these bad habits of the past discourage you - it is never too late to make new choices. What you did in the past can be changed, and your body will respond in kind. What matters is what you do from this moment forward.
 
It takes 14 to 21 days of repetitive behavior to form a new pattern in your brain. Once the pattern is formed, it becomes an automatic behavioral response.

As you develop new healthy habits, they will begin to replace bad habits. These healthy lifelong habits are adapted straight from the time-tested traditions practiced by centenarians all around the world, and I can say with certainty that they will transform and rejuvenate you!

Eat five small meals a day.
In the Western culture, meals are taken three times a day, but it is much better to eat five smaller meals. When you eat smaller portions five times a day, you deliver a steady stream of nutrients, blood sugar, and energy to your body throughout the day.
 
Additionally, eating this way is less taxing on the digestive and metabolic systems and also reduces your risk of heart disease.

Climb the stairs instead of using elevators.
The health benefits of a daily exercise program cannot be stressed enough. Regular exercise can help promote physiological well-being, strengthen the immune system, maintain joint mobility, increase energy - and the list goes on.

Look for opportunities all through your day to work in physical activity. Power-walk, run, or ride your bike instead of driving. Begin a daily tai chi practice. Join a gym and actually go! Practice safely and watch your health results pile up.

Laugh it up!
We know from research that laughter and joy boost immune functions, especially the production of the natural killer cells that help protect the body from illness and cancer. Laughter also increases the release of endorphins, compounds that give you a sense of well-being, in your brain. Without a doubt, joyful people live longer and healthier lives.

Drink 8 glasses of water every day.
Water is essential for all healthy body functions. Centenarians from around the globe cite their native water as the source of their health and longevity - and the scientists agree with them. What they all have in common is pure water sources located far from any city, free from chemicals and toxins.
 
Choose filtered water; the best filtration processes are the ones that use activated charcoal, which removes the impurities but leaves the water-soluble minerals. Also, do not store water in plastic containers because the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can leach into the water.

Unwind with meditation.
Stress is the root cause of most of the diseases that shorten our life span. In our modern society stress will continue to increase - unless you find techniques to manage it. Meditation is the best way to release tension and revitalize your being. It teaches you to breath properly, which is critical for eliminating up to 70% of your body's toxins and wastes. It also quiets your mind, lowers your stress hormones, and teaches self-discipline, which is a necessary attribute to achieving your health and longevity goals.

Try this beginning meditation:
Sit comfortably on a chair or the floor. Breathe naturally and close your eyes. Each time a thought appears, put it inside a balloon and let it fly up into the sky and disappear. Do this until the thoughts are exhausted. After a bit, your body will feel very light, and your mind will become still. The first few times it may take a while, but it will get easier and faster with practice.

Source:  Ask Dr. Mao, The Natural Health Search Engine

Saturday, February 27, 2010

The Aging Process: Theories and Effects

Aging is a complex process that is only partially understood. Some people think that our bodies just wear out while others think that aging can be prevented or even reversed by replacing parts of our bodies or giving hormonal or other supplements. When we think about aging, we have to look at what happens to our body over time.

The study of aging - gerontology - is a relatively new science that has made incredible progress over the last 30 years. In the past, scientists looked for a single theory that explained aging. There are two main groups of aging theories. The first group states that aging is natural and programmed into the body, while the second group of aging theories say that aging is a result of damage which is accumulated over time. In the end, aging is a complex interaction of genetics, chemistry, physiology and behavior.

Theories of Aging
By understanding and describing how we age, researchers have developed several different theories of aging. The two categories are: programmed theories and error theories.


- Programmed Theories assert that the human body is designed to age and there is a certain biological timeline that our bodies follow.
- Programmed Longevity: Aging is caused by certain genes switching on and off over time.
- Endocrine Theory: Changes in hormones control aging.
- Immunological Theory: The immune system is programmed to decline over time, leaving people more susceptible to diseases.
- Error Theories assert that aging is caused by environmental damage to our body's systems, which accumulates over time.
- Wear and Tear: Cells and tissues simply wear out.
- Rates of Living: The faster an organism uses oxygen, the shorter it lives.
- Cross-Linking: Cross-linked proteins accumulate and slow down body processes.
- Free Radicals: Free radicals cause damage to cells that eventually impairs function.
- Somatic DNA Damage: Genetic mutations cause cells to mal- function.

Genetics and Aging
Studies have demonstrated that genetics can play a major role in aging. When researchers adjust the genes in certain mice, yeast cells and other organisms, they can almost double the lifespan of these creatures. The meaning of these experiments for people is not known, but researchers think that genetics account for up to 35 percent of the variation in aging among people. Some key concepts in genetics and aging include:


- Longevity Genes: There are specific genes which help a person live longer.
- Cell Senescence: The process by which cells deteriorate over time.
- Telomeres: Structures on the end of DNA that eventually are depleted, resulting in cells ceasing to replicate.
- Stem Cells: These cells can become any type of cell in the body and hold promise to repair damage caused by aging.

Biochemistry 

No matter what genes you have inherited, your body is continually undergoing complex biochemical reactions. Some of these reactions cause damage and, ultimately, aging in the body. Studying these complex reactions is helping researchers understand how the body changes as it ages. Important concepts in the biochemistry of aging include:

- Free Radicals: Unstable oxygen molecules which can damage cells.
- Protein Cross-Linking: Excess sugars in the blood stream can cause protein molecules to literally stick together.
- DNA Repair: For an unknown reasons, the systems in the body to repair DNA seem to become less effective in older people.
- Heat Shock Proteins: These proteins help cells survive stress and are present in fewer numbers in older people.
- Hormones: The body's hormones change as we age, causing many shifts in organ systems and other functions.

Body Systems
As we age, our body's organs and other systems make changes. These changes alter our susceptibility to various diseases. Researchers are just beginning to understand the processes that cause changes over time in our body systems. Understanding these processes is important because many of the effects of aging are first noticed in our body systems. Here is a brief overview of how some body systems age:


- Heart Aging: The heart muscle thickens with age as a response to the thickening of the arteries. This thicker heart has a lower maximum pumping rate.
- Immune System Aging: T cells take longer to replenish in older people and their ability to function declines.
- Arteries and Aging: Arteries usually to stiffen with age, making it more difficult for the heart to pump blood through them.
- Lung Aging: The maximum capacity of the lungs may decrease as much as 40 percent between ages 20 and 70.
- Brain Aging: As the brain ages, some of the connections between neurons seem to be reduced or less efficient. This is not yet well understood.
- Kidney Aging: The kidneys become less efficient at cleaning waste from the body.
- Bladder Aging: The total capacity of the bladder declines and tissues may atrophy, causing incontinence.
- Body Fat and Aging: Body fat increases until middle age and then weight typically begins to decrease. The body fat also moves deeper in the body as we age.
- Muscle Aging: Muscle tone declines about 22 percent by age 70, though exercise can slow this decline.
- Bone Aging: Starting at age 35, our bones begin to lose density. Walking, running and resistance training can slow this process.
- Sight and Aging: Starting in the 40s, difficulty seeing close detail may begin.
- Hearing and Aging: As people age, the ability to hear high frequencies declines.

Behavioral Factors
The good news is that many of these causes of aging can be modified through your behaviors:

- By eating foods loaded with antioxidants, you can minimize damage caused by free radicals.
- By exercising, you can limit bone and muscle loss.
- By keeping your cholesterol low, you can slow the hardening of your arteries and protect your heart.
- By practicing mental fitness, you can keep your brain sharp.

Lifestyle factors have also been shown to extend life. Rats and mice on a calorie restricted diet (30 percent fewer daily calories) live up to 40 percent longer. Positive thinking has also been shown to extend life in people by up to 7.5 years.

Source: About.com - Longevity