How to Reduce Your Biological Age [Ref: H08I09-1350]

Source: http://www.heartwizard.com/improve_biological_age.asp


Research shows that your biological age is a more accurate evaluation of your age, and the good news is that your biological age can actually become younger if you make healthy lifestyle choices.

An example of some simple choices might be more salads and less pizza for lunch, and more fruit and less pastry for dessert; forego one TV program in the evening and take a walk; and substitute a bottle of water for some of the soft drinks you consume each day.

Starting with a few minor changes is easy, and you will begin to see the healthy rewards, giving you the incentive to continue.

Say you’re 55 in calendar years – wouldn’t you like to look and feel 45? Wouldn’t you rather grow older at a much slower pace feeling energetic and totally alive? There are several factors that influence your biological age, and these factors are completely under your control. Let’s take a look at some.

Nutrition

Nutrition has to be the most important factor for good health. Our bodies are not unlike machines and like machines, we need the proper ‘fuel and maintenance’ to make us run smoothly and at optimal performance.

Eating plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits every day is vital. Fresh foods contain vitamins, minerals and nutrients that are lacking in processed and junk foods. Our body systems require these nutrients to do their jobs and keep us healthy. Beyond that, fresh foods contain enzymes needed for good digestion whereas processed foods have none.

By adopting a healthy diet, you’ll see the benefits now and most certainly later in life, such as a healthy heart, stable blood sugar levels, stronger bones, and far less risk of cancer.

How can good nutrition lower your biological age?

Getting the proper vitamins, minerals and nutrients ‘fuel’ every system in the body and cause it to work efficiently and optimally for a lifetime.

Proper nutrition provides you with more energy for work and play.
Proper nutrition helps you maintain a healthy weight.
Proper nutrition helps you maintain good bone health.
Proper nutrition promotes good sleep.
Proper nutrition promotes a healthy immune system.

Now that you realize how important good nutrition is, try changing one eating habit a week. Cut down on foods high in fat and begin replacing them with whole grain foods, low fat foods, and fresh fruit and vegetables. You'll be reaping the benefits of good nutrition before you know it!

Reduce Risk of Disease

Clinical research now points to several factors that have an influence on disease risk. The risk of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, allergies, digestive disorders, arthritis, diabetes, neurological conditions, just to name a few, are affected by poor diet, lack of exercise, insufficient water intake and lack of antioxidants.

None of the degenerative diseases mentioned are inevitable even in those individuals who have strong family genetic history. All disease and the process of aging is eventually a breakdown in the body's immune system.

It’s relatively simple to fortify and restore your immune system by adopting a nutritious diet, getting some exercise every day, drinking 8-10 glasses of water each day and taking an antioxidant supplement or eating sufficient quantities of fruits containing powerful antioxidants, such as blueberries, strawberries, grapes, etc. Such steps will provide optimum function leading to optimum health and a younger biological age.

Exercise Of the top 10 biomarkers of aging, 5 of them are directly related to how much/little you exercise your body.

Biomarkers are objectively measured variables which help in the assessment of determining your biological age.

MUSCLE MASS: The amount of lean muscle tissue on your body
STRENGTH: Your ability to resist weight
RESTING HEART RATE
BODY FAT %: The per cent body fat of your body
AEROBIC CAPACITY: Your body's ability to process oxygen from the air and move it into your bloodstream and throughout your body

Supplements

A healthy, balanced diet is vital to good health, but let’s face it, unless you can manage to eat a totally organic diet, our fresh foods are not as nutrient-packed as they once were before the advent of commercial farming with pesticides and other toxins in the soil. And the flip-side of the coin is that many of us eat too much fast food or processed food, which have no nutritional value.

Supplementation is an excellent way to ensure that you are getting the vital nutrients you need every day. Remember, damage from nutrient deficiency is slow, but cumulative and ultimately results in disease states.

A dietary supplement (also known as food supplement) is a preparation intended to supply nutrients (such as vitamins, minerals, fatty acids or amino acids) that are missing or not consumed in sufficient quantity in a person's diet.

A multivitamin/mineral each day is not optional, it’s necessary for good health.

Calcium and Vitamin D are necessary for maintaining good bone health, and many don’t get the amount they need from their diet.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids (fish oil) are vital for heart health, but few of us eat enough cold water fish to meet our body’s needs.

Green Tea extract, grape seed extract, berry extracts, vitamins C and E, beta-carotene and selenium all perform as antioxidants and help neutralize free radicals in the body that would otherwise cause damage to our cells. Over time, this damage is cumulative and causes aging and eventually death.

There are many more herbal supplements beneficial for prevention and treatment of numerous conditions, too numerous to mention here, but don’t doubt that supplementation is a healthy addition to your lifestyle.


More Options for Reducing Bio Age

Everyday we are exposed to bad bacteria and toxins in the food we eat, the air we breathe and the water we drink. Body Cleanses, such as liver, colon, and kidney can help revitalize and rebalance your body. Everyone could benefit from a healthy cleanse at least twice a year to remove toxins that are storing in your systems.

If you have a chronic health problem, it is likely due to one or more of the following: microbial infestation/imbalance, virus, parasites, weakened immunity, emotional imbalance, poor diet, dehydration, heavy metal toxicity, and constitutional/genetic factors. Microbes include yeast, fungi, and bacteria. The existence, and in some cases, over-growth (too much "bad" bacteria vs. "good" bacteria), of microbes (and their waste) will impair function of the systems involved, which leads to disease.


Massage, yoga and meditation are recommended by many health professionals for stress relief. Our everyday life is filled with stressful situations, large and small. We sometimes don’t even notice that we’re stressed because it has become so commonplace.

However, that doesn’t mean that stress doesn’t damage our health. Stress symptoms can be physical and mental, and learning to cope with challenges, as well as relieving them promotes better health and a younger biological age!


Suggestions for lowering your biological age:

Do eat a balanced diet and include plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits. Cut down on fat, salt and sugar in your diet.

Drink plenty of water. Drink fewer caffeinated drinks. Drink alcohol moderately.

Get more exercise – walk, garden, take the stairs, park farther from your destination. Don’t sit on the couch quite as much.

Do take a quality multivitamin/mineral supplement every day plus a variety of antioxidants to fight free radical damage, Omega-3 (fish oil) capsules for heart health, and extra calcium and vitamin D for bone health.

Do get enough quality sleep every night so that your body can rest and repair itself.

Try a whole-body cleanse twice a year to clear the toxins from your body and rejuvenate your health!

Manage stress by learning deep breathing exercises and meditation. Practice yoga and get regular massages. Don’t let stress ruin your physical and emotional health.

If you decide to start making the best choices in Nutrition, Exercise, and Supplementation, in time, you will improve your health and fitness, have more energy and lower your Biological Age.

Begin to make your changes today- it is never too early and never too late to grow younger!