In the health and wellness sector one hot topic is longevity. There are many reasons for the surge in this discussion, our aging population, with estimates that the age 65 and above grew by a third since 2010. The rise of chronic conditions such as diabetes which CDC estimates that 97.6 million Americans have pre-diabetes and 38.4 Million have diabetes. Check out an excellent video by Dr. Ken Berry on pre-diabetes and the hidden dangers here.
Not too forget that in 2022, Tufts University said only 7% of Americans have good cardiometabolic health, article here. Staggering numbers that beg the question, what longevity will look like when the majority of people are ill? OK, so besides getting depressed about the state of the nation, what can I do to augment my health span?
There are numerous longevity researchers and advocates to explore both in books, published research, interviews and podcasts. Highlights include Mark Hyman, Peter Attia, Kara Fitzgerald, Gabrielle Lyon, Andrew Weil and on and on. Reading and exploring the intersecting points is fascinating if this lights your fire, go explore.
As a health coach, our job is to help folks simplify and find tools to implement in a practical way. While many of the longevity researchers promote their own supplements and or latest “hack” none are sure fire remedies to increase healthspan, they are still educated guesses and hypotheses.
That said certain items keep rising to the top across all sectors of wellbeing. On that note here’s a few favorites based on client experiences, results, decades in the wellness industry and a consummate student.
- Improve your metabolic health!
- Eat real food and cook the majority of your meals
- Do resistance training and move as much as you can during the day
- Get sunlight whenever possible and spend more time outdoors
- Be serious about regular bioavailable protein consumption
- Don’t wait for the next magic pill!
Understanding the role metabolic health is a great starting point. You can take a quick quiz here on heart surgeon Dr. Philip Ovadia’s website. Understanding your current status of the 5 metabolic markers and start putting a plan in place to improve your markers through lifestyle change. A first step is create your own health and wellness team.
CDC says 36.6% of adults eat fast food on a given day. My gut feeling says it is way more. Everywhere one looks you see individuals doing take-out, drive-thru franchises are always busy, and the consumption of ultra-processed foods (not really food in my book) continues to grow up to 57% according to the American Journal of Nutrition.
The more you control your food and support local farmers, the more you control your health. You cannot exercise away a poor diet. Highly processed food like substances are the most deleterious to our health. See this impressive interview with Dr. Robert Lustig and Andrew Huberman from Stanford on How Sugar and Processed Foods Impact Your Health.
A phrase I use constantly as a health coach is, there are two levers you can pull for maintaining muscle mass as we age, nutrition and exercise. With nutrition you have to get the protein piece solidified and be consistent at meals. With exercise some form of strength-building resistance training is a must. See more in blog piece on Get Strong.
We know anecdotally that getting outside, taking a walk or hike along with outdoor activities or sports changes our mood. So why don’t we do it more regularly? Certainly, weather in some parts of the globe can be challenging. Having lived many a couple decades in The Netherlands, I was told early on, “Get used to being wet.” Life in Amsterdam revolves on the bicycle and yes it rains a lot.
All jokes aside making space and time to get outside even if for 5 minutes can be a game changer in our energy and help break up our sedentary time. A crucial tool in promoting good metabolic health. See work from Neville Owen, PhD on the dangers of too much sitting, here and here.
By the way too much sitting is not the same as too little exercise. See post on Are We Sitting Too Much? Frame your movement strategy in two buckets, one of structured exercise and the other bucket breaking up your sitting time.
Lastly, speaking of sitting, don’t wait around for the next magic pill to arrive, see post here. Take your health seriously, invest now. The current medical system is not designed for proactive and preventative care, some call it a sick-care system.
Longevity demands a plan with team members supporting and challenging you to stay strong, vibrant and mobile.
“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
