By Betty Guy-Wills
Many studies have been conducted by scientist in this country that are showing that controlling our lifestyle can not only lengthen our telomeres plus lengthen our life span over a short period of time. Telomeres are the ends of our chromosomes that affect our aging process. Chromosomes are made from DNA. DNA is the material inside the nucleus of our cells that carry information on our genes that’s inherited from our parents.
These studies are showing that short telomeres are related to diseases like: stroke, heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, etc. But we can make changes in our lives that can save us, even from our genes and having shorter telomeres that can be lengthened from young to older adults. The results are a longer than usual life with lots of energy and looking as good as we feel.
These are the lifestyles that will keep you young and reverse the aging process, giving you a longer, healthier life like expecting a firmer face and body with less or no wrinkles or lines.
This means you will look and feel at least ten years younger at a minimum than your actual years:
- Eat more fruits and vegetables, unrefined grains, food that is low in fat and refined carbs. People who take just a multivitamin daily have 5% longer telomeres than the average person who takes no vitamins. Studies have shown that people that take folate or folic acid (vitamin B9) as a supplement have longer telomeres. However it is included in many multivitamin formulas, check out the labels.
- Exercise/workout even if it is just means walking 30 minutes a day, divided up into smaller segments. Just keep on moving that body. All types of meaningful body movement is good even it they are only 15 minute spurts, as long as they add up.
- Get enough of quality night sleep. This can help lower the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, etc. Sleep will always help you recover from any illness much faster.
- Drink in moderation. The American Heart Association reminds us that one drink a day for women (red wine recommended) and one or two drinks for men. However if you don’t drink, don’t start.
- Keep your weight down. Try the Mediterranean diet that is high in fresh fruits of the season, plus veggies, olive oil and fish. You don’t shop the frozen food section on this diet!
- Latch on to a daily siesta/ napping that is practiced in many countries of the world. Several studies with 24,000 participants state that those who napped daily (at least 5 days out of the week) were protected from heart disease than were the spasmodic nappers. Researchers are thinking that naps aid the heart by keeping the stress hormones at bay.
- Stop smoking now (if you do), of course, we all know this…whatever your age.
The secret, so it is being proven, for a long, younger life is to develop longer telomeres. It looks like the “fountain of youth” is within our own bodies. And, it looks like the implements to add to or to heal any damage we have done is also inside our bodies. Let’s start putting them to work, no matter what our age.
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