Lifestyle Modifications to Increase Healthspan
Dr. Peter Attia, MD in his book Outlive discusses how to increase your healthspan as well as your lifespan. There are many “hacks” out there to help us live a long, healthy life, but really it just comes down to the basics and how we manage our lives on a daily basis. It is important to note that 80% of disease is due to poor lifestyle choices and genetics only accounts for 20% of disease. That is majorly empowering! Chronic inflammation is the driver of most diseases. The main inflammatory triggers in our bodies are emotional and physical stress, obesity, poor nutritional choices, smoking, increased alcohol use, decreased sleep, lack of physical activity and movement, and exposure to environmental pollution and toxins. Below are suggestions to help us all increase our healthspan.
Managing stress is key to keeping inflammation levels low in our bodies. Stress produces cortisol, and cortisol is inflammatory. I have clients who are “doing everything right” with their diet and exercise programs, but their stress levels are out of control and therefore healing is slow. Many things can help with stress management, but meditation can be key. All types of meditation and mindfulness practices are helpful. Mindfulness based exercises include breathwork, body scanning, mindful eating, object meditation, walking meditation, music/sound meditation, yoga and gratitude journaling. Many times we need to rethink our priorities and make space in our lives for what really matters and learn to say no to those things that no longer serve us. Take time each day to be present and calm the mind and body. Some helpful apps are Calm, Insight Timer, Headspace and Yoga Nidra.
I love Michael Pollan’s quote from his book, In Defense of Food, “Eat real food, mostly plants and not too much.” There is a lot of information out there on how to eat, what to eat, what not to eat and when to eat. In the medical community, a few things do seem to be mostly agreed upon. We should eat a whole food, anti-inflammatory diet that is mostly organic and non-GMO if possible. It is best if animal products have been regeneratively raised, grass-fed and/or organic. Seafood should be low in mercury and toxins and wild caught or sustainably raised. Local and/or organic fruits and vegetables are best. Use a wide variety of herbs and spices. Eliminating (or significantly reducing) sugar and white flour consumption is one of the most important things we can do to improve our health and extend our lives. It is recommended that we take a 12-16 hour break from eating each day to give our bodies time for autophagy or cellular clean up. The most common food sensitivities are gluten, dairy, grains, beans, soy, eggs, nuts and seeds, and nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, white potatoes, eggplant, etc). An elimination diet may be helpful for those who feel they have food sensitivities or have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. The most studied diet thus far is the Mediterranean diet with nice longevity results. In summary, eat a wide variety of delicious, colorful, real foods to nourish and sustain health. Slowing down to eat with family and friends is even better!
Smoking and alcohol consumption is inflammatory. Smoking and vaping may be the worst thing you can do to limit your lifespan and healthspan. All doctors will tell you to quit smoking and can offer many options to help. Alcohol is inflammatory as well. Those who choose to drink should limit their intake to 2 drinks or less per day for men and 1 drink or less per day for women. Most MD’s will agree that this recommendation is generous.
Sleep is essential for healing, repair, cellular cleanup and longevity. 7-9 hours of sleep is recommended for adults 18-60 years old. There are several wearable devices that monitor sleep such as the Oura ring, Garmin, Fitbit and Apple watch. Recommendations to enhance sleep are as follows:
Begin a digital detox starting 2 hours before bedtime
No caffeine after 2pm
No alcohol within 3 hours of bedtime
Stop eating 3 hours before bedtime
No intense exercise before bed
Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, even on weekends
No TV/computers/phone in the bedroom - the bedroom is only for sleeping and romance
Create total darkness - use blackout curtains/blinds or use an eye mask
Keep the temperature cool at night, ideally in the mid 60’s
Use a sound machine
Take a warm bath, shower or sauna with essential oils before bed
Get regular exposure to daylight for at least 20 minutes/day, ideally first thing in the morning
Spend some time reflecting on your day, write down your worries and your to-do list
Use your calming apps to help wind down. Yoga Nidra is my favorite. Binaural beats sound meditation synchronizes brain waves for deep sleep.
Practice “legs up the wall” yoga pose with deep breathing to calm your nervous system
Physical activity is, of course, my favorite thing to talk about. To quote Dr. Mark Hyman, MD from Young Forever, “You have to move or you won’t”. Here are just some of the benefits of physical exercise: it DECREASES risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, adverse blood lipid profile, cancer, dementia/Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety and depression, osteoporosis, weight gain and the pain of osteoarthritis. It INCREASES cognition, quality of life, sleep and stress management. The US physical activity guidelines for adults recommend a minimum of 150 minutes/week of moderate activity or 75 minutes/week of vigorous activity AND at least 2-3 days/week of muscle strengthening exercise. Adults need to add in balance, flexibility and agility training as well. Moderate exercise is 5-6/10 on the perceived exertion scale or the ability to talk but not sing. Vigorous exercise is 7-8/10 on the perceived exertion scale or the inability to say more than a few words at a time. Muscle mass decreases 3-8% per decade after the age of 30. The rate of decline is greater after the age of 60. It is important to note that it is never too late to start exercising and cardiovascular health, strength, flexibility, and balance can improve at any age.
Toxins and pollutants are everywhere. However, there are some strategies to implement that can decrease your toxic load. The list can be overwhelming, so I usually recommend to start where you are and replace the products you run out of with cleaner, healthier versions. Here are just a few ideas:
Reduce foods that have been contaminated with pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics and/or hormones
Eat organic or non-GMO food - see EWG’s Dirty Dozen and Clean15 lists (EWG.org)
Eliminate high mercury fish - see EWG’s Consumer Guide to Seafood
Filter your water and get an air filter for your home or office
Eliminate toxic cleaning products and toxic personal care products (the EWG Healthy Living app and Think Dirty app can give you clean replacements)
Do not use toxic cookware or food storage containers (glass is better than plastic)
Drink 8-10 glasses of filtered water daily (or ½ your body weight in ounces)
Sweat daily with exercise, saunas, steam or hot baths
Look out for PFAS in non-stick cookware and stain repellent clothing, biphenol A, phthalates, PBDE’s and parabens - all can be hormone disruptors
Set 2-3 measurable goals each month to begin making healthy lifestyle changes. Pick some easily attainable goals to get started and find success. Most of us do better being held accountable, whether that is by a friend, an app, a nutritionist, or your favorite physical therapist! The most important thing is to get started. We all want to age well and be doing the things we love with the people we love well into our 80’s and beyond. Never stop thinking about the future and your new dreams and aspirations. It will keep you young and moving forward.
Cay Moore, PT
