Are you getting this information from your doctor? WHY NOT?
Do you prefer your doctor and hospital incompetence in this NOT KNOWING? OR NOT DOING?
4 gym-free ways you can stay strong and active so you can live longer, according to Super Agers
Tech execs like Bryan Johnson and Sam Altman are optimizing their diets to live longer. Here's what experts say to eat to expand your lifespan, from pomegranates to red onions.
- As a quest for longevity sweeps the nation, people are taking supplements and prescription pills to reverse aging.
- Research shows that diet also plays a role in determining — and even increasing — a person's lifespan.
- Here's a list of fruits, vegetables, spices, and drinks that experts say can lead to a longer life.
Some billionaires, like Elon Musk, opt for a donut for breakfast and barbecue for dinner.
Others, like biotech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, methodically prepare smoothies with compounds like creatine, spermidine, collagen peptides, and consume copious amounts of vegetables Tech billionaires clearly don't have similar diets, or even goals for their health. Still, those like Johnson aren't abiding by fastidious nutrition plans simply to stay healthy — they're aiming to live longer.And though there's certainly an overlap between eating for general health and eating for longevity, Dr. Anant Vinjamoori, chief medical officer of longevity-focused healthcare company Modern Age, told Insider there are also a few key differences.
Mind your protein intake
Vinjamoori suggests looking at protein intake as an example.
"Protein is essential for building and maintaining muscle mass, and having adequate muscle mass is important for healthy aging." At the same time, Vinjamoori said, "protein intake is also known to work against some of the beneficial, restorative pathways in our body."
That idea is corroborated by the work of Dan Buettner, who founded the longevity brand Blue Zones. Buettner spent years studying the habits of those in what are called "Blue Zones," regions of the world where people tend to live to the age of 100.
Across all five Blue Zones — Loma Linda, California; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Sardinia, Italy; Ikaria, Greece; Okinawa, Japan — Buettner and his team found that people consume less protein (especially animal protein) than the rest of the world.
Go vegetarian or vegan
David Sinclair, a Harvard Medical School professor and longevity researcher, takes the argument against animal protein one step further, contending that the best way to live longer is by dropping meat entirely.In an interview with The Knowledge Project Podcast last December, Sinclair said that high animal protein diets may help people look and feel great, but only in the short term.
"I'm convinced, and the data shows it from population studies, that a carnivorous diet is not a longevity producing diet in the long run," he said.
Several powerful figures in the tech industry don't eat meat either. OpenAI's Sam Altman is vegetarian while Twitter co-founder Biz Stone is vegan.
Breaking it down to the cellular level
Vinjamoori said that it can also be helpful to think about eating for longevity from the cellular level. "I start with the question of what cellular processes I want to optimize, determine which compounds have been shown in research to optimize those processes, and then to find foods that have high concentrations of those compounds," he said.
Insider set out to figure exactly which foods would optimize those processes, and ultimately, help you live longer. Read more, below.
Simple activities like walking, climbing stairs, and dancing keep the Blue Zones' Super Agers strong, vital, and healthy into their 80s, 90s, and even past 100 years old.
Walking is one of the simplest ways to improve your health
Walking is a natural part of daily life for many residents of Blue Zones. In places like Singapore where using a car is expensive, it's easy for people to rack up more than 10,000 steps a day, which is about four miles or an hour and a half of walking.
"They don't even know it, but they're exercising. They're moving naturally all day long," Buettner said.
For those of us who spend most of the day moving from our cars to our desks to the couch, it may seem like a lot. But thankfully, you don't have to sell your car or move to another country to get the benefits of walking.
Research shows that adding just a thousand more steps to your day can stave off early death and illnesses such as heart disease.
10 Things to Stop Doing If You Want to Live a Long LifeHigh elevations in Blue Zones like Sardinia, Italy have been linked to longer lifespans, in part because the people there routinely walk up and down stairs or hills as part of their daily routines."If we want to live longer, instead of paying for an expensive gym membership, maybe start by skipping the elevator and taking the stairs," Buettner said.
A recent study found that doing one minute of exercise that raises your heart rate, like climbing the stairs or carrying groceries, can reduce the risk of early death if you do it a few times a day.
That's a major boost for longevity in significantly less time (and sweat) than it would take to complete a HIIT class.
Playing a group sport can help you be consistent with exercise
A major downfall of many workout routines is that people may try them for a while, but don't stick to them long term, according to Buettner.
"In the United States we spend billions on gym memberships that go largely unused. We're well-intentioned, we just can't seem to keep exercise routines going long enough to make a difference," he said.
Residents of another Blue Zone, the city of Loma Linda in California, have found a solution in making exercise a community event, whether they're meeting up on the pickleball court or at the swimming pool.
Research suggests that finding a workout buddy is one of the best ways to stay motivated to exercise for the long haul, according to Harvard paleoanthropologist Daniel Lieberman.
Making exercise social helps hold you accountable, promotes social bonding, and increases your odds of being consistent, he said. That's true whether you're signing up for your local rec center kickball tournament, or just walking in the park with a friend.
Dancing is a fun, social way to boost heart health
Combining some of the best of the Blue Zones fitness strategies like being social and finding unintentional ways to get moving, a region in Greece called Ikaria demonstrates how to make partying a workout.
People in the area hold traditional events called panegyris that last for hours.
"They are dancing all night long. And you might say 'big deal, they're at a party,'" Buettner said. "Actually, an hour of running or an hour of dancing are about equal when it comes to caloric burn. But an hour of dancing is a blast."
At the same time, the dancers are also socializing, appreciating music, and yes, enjoying wine — also linked to potential longevity benefits.
This Greek approach to activity highlights how too many of us associate exercise with suffering, in contrast to people in Blue Zones who find ways to make it an enjoyable and consistent part of everyday life, according to Buettner.
"We're learning that physical activity can be joyful," he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment