The Keys to Living a Healthy Life

I have always been fascinated by anything longevity and healthspan related. We want to thrive so that we would have energy to work on our dreams. Based on what I have observed and studied over the years, I have come to realise that we have an extraordinary amount of control over the length of our healthspan. We can literally turn back the clock to some extent and promote cell rejuvenation and longevity with the right lifestyle.

DISCLAIMER: Please remember I am not a scientist or medical-know-it-all. This blog post is shared only to inspire and spark curiosity. 

Age Backwards: Biological vs. Chronological Age 

Healthspan is the period of life when we are in good health. When we talk about age we often talk about chronological age, or the number of years we have been alive, and it’s unchangeable. Nevertheless, there is another way to measure age and that is our biological age. Biological age is the age at which our bodies function and appear to be. Our biological and chronological age might not be the same. For example, if you are very fit and healthy for your age, your biological age can be much lower than your chronological age. 

Healthspan and biological age are affected by genetics but then there are many external factors that we can control such as our diet, exercise, stress, smoking, sleeping habits, and our physical environment (where we live and work). In the book, Lifespan, David Sinclair, a professor of genetics at Harvard, explains how there are two main types of information in our body’s cells: the first is genetic information, and the second is epigenetic information. Epigenetics are chemical changes that occur on our genome that dictate when genes are turned on and off. If you are interested in this topic and how external factors can influence the human epigenome from periconception to death, I recommend this review article, Epigenetics across the human lifespan. Hence, our environment and how we have lived our lives can slow down or accelerate the ticking of that epigenetic clock. 

When scientists want to measure our biological age, they tend to measure our telomeres and DNA methylation. Our telomeres get shorter as we become older. Studies have shown that people with shorter telomeres are more likely to have chronic illness, neurological disease, and an early death. The good news is that by adopting a healthier lifestyle and adding physical activities we can potentially even lengthen our telomeres - meaning become biologically younger. Studies show how those who exercise more have longer telomeres that appear to be almost a decade younger than those who live a more sedentary lifestyle. Similarly, healthy digestion and metabolism help our bodies to repair and rebuild the cells efficiently. Probably the biggest things that can slow down our metabolism are things like ultra-processed foods, lack of physical movement, and calorie restriction.

Move Your Body Daily 

Many longevity experts recommend low impact activities like daily walking. Centenarians in all Blue Zones - the five longevity hot spots where people tend to live exceptionally long and healthy lives - walk a lot and stay physically active through the day. They don’t have gym memberships, but they enjoy doing physical work all their lives. It’s important to incorporate physical activities where we use all our muscle groups to keep our muscles and bones strong. The best form of exercise is what you like to do consistently in the long term and what serves your goals and needs. I believe in simplicity like walking more, taking the stairs, and carrying groceries. These sound like small things but they will add up over time. Yoga and Pilates are my only form of structured exercise. I do a lot of walking, not so much for exercise, but more for the fresh air and moments to think. Walking in nature is like meditation to me. 

In our daily life we often forget to move our spine through its full range of motion and as a result our spine becomes stiffer which can have a negative impact on almost anywhere in the body: back pain, joint pain, muscle tension and stiffness. We can even feel numbness, radiating pain, or weakness in our arms and legs if the spinal cord or nerves branching from it are compressed. Especially in our modern world with our days mostly spent sitting at the desk and slouching over our phones, paying attention to our spine health and posture is more crucial than ever before. Poor posture can lead to muscle imbalances, decreased mobility, and excess stress on various body parts. Furthermore, a bad posture makes anyone look less attractive. Right now I love Pilates the most because it helps to tone our bodies, forces us to go within and helps to connect to our breath. In my opinion Pilates is the best exercise method out there to holistically improve the health of our spine which has a huge impact on the quality of our life and how we feel in our bodies. During a well-designed Pilates or yoga class we go through all spine movements. As the spine becomes stronger and more flexible, we are not only able to move more freely but we are also able to better remove toxic waste from our bodies because spine health is linked to the health of our internal organs.

Nourish Your Body 

When it comes to nutrition, the most fundamental thing is to choose real, whole foods and organic whenever possible because food is raw material that builds our bodies. Moreover, when we get all the vital nutrients, we feel more satisfied both mentally and physically, and we stop craving all the highly processed junk. 

The health of our gut matters a lot for our health span. Our immune system is closely linked to our gut health. It’s estimated that over 70% of our immune system resides in the gut. When we have a great digestion, we are able to eliminate toxic waste. As a result, our immune system improves, our skin gets better, and we have more energy. We can nourish the growth of good bacteria in the gut by eating prebiotic fibre, probiotic foods, and polyphenols. Prebiotics are types of fibre that aren’t digestible by the body, and thus, they can travel in the digestive tract and feed our friendly gut bacteria, and allow the gut bacteria to produce many nutrients like short chain fatty acids. Dandelion greens, onions, bananas, whole oats and apples are rich in prebiotic fibre. 

Probiotics are live bacteria and are found in fermented foods like kefir, miso, sauerkraut, tempeh, and yoghourt. Prior to the invention of refrigerators, foods were often fermented to preserve foods. Therefore, fermented foods played prominent roles in traditional diets. I know how challenging it can be at first to add more probiotics in our diet because they simply aren’t so common anymore. Once you get used to eating them regularly, it becomes second nature. If you buy fermented foods from a store, it’s always important to make sure they are raw and that they don’t contain too much added sugar, salt or weird chemicals. Always choose raw unpasteurised fermented foods (even though in very rare cases there is risk of foodborne illness) because the pasteurisation process kills most of the good bacteria. Making fermented foods at home would be the most ideal option. Finally, polyphenols are plant compounds with antioxidants and other health benefits that protect our cells from damage. For instance berries, dark chocolate, and certain nuts, like hazelnuts and pecans are very high in polyphenols. Resveratrol is one the most valuable polyphenol, and something that longevity experts like Sinclair like to talk about. Studies show how it can improve blood sugar levels and reduce inflammation. Resveratrol is naturally found in grapes, red wine, berries, peanuts, pistachios, and cocoa.

Choose carbohydrates from whole food sources like vegetables, whole grains, and fruits. Carbohydrates are not evil - and the centenarians in Okinawa (Japan) and Sardinia (Italy) get most of their calories from carbohydrates. It’s the quality and type of the carbohydrates that matter. Our brain is the most energy-demanding organ and its primary source of energy is glucose. It’s those simple, highly processed forms of carbohydrates that cause health problems: they get into the bloodstream very quickly spiking the insulin which can harm our bodies and skin. In contrast, when we eat fibre-rich whole foods, we feel satisfied longer because fibre slows down digestion. The other amazing thing about fibre is that it prevents constipation and helps to remove toxins from the body. 

We also need healthy fats to keep our brains and hormones functioning optimally. I always prefer fats in their unprocessed form like nuts, seeds, avocados, and olives. Oils are purified forms of fats, and don’t contain many nutrients. For cooking, I use either extra virgin coconut or olive oil. I think coconut oil is the best option for cooking. It’s a special kind of saturated fat and stays relatively stable at high cooking temperatures. In particular omega-3 fatty acids are needed for healthy cell membranes. There are three types of omega-3 fatty acids: ALA (alpha-linoleic acid), EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). EPA and DHA come from animal sources and mostly from cold-water fish. ALA comes mainly from plants like chia seeds, flaxseeds, walnuts, and leafy greens. The body can convert ALA to EPA/ DHA but the conversion rate is limited and depends on an individual. I think it’s much better to get nutrients from foods than from supplements but there can be situations when we need a high quality supplement - for instance in the case of vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, and B12 if you eat mainly plant-based. 

Protein is one of the three macronutrients - along with carbohydrates and fats - made up of amino acids. Our bodies need enough high quality protein and all the essential amino acids to build beautiful, well-functioning bodies. The current official recommendation is to get at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. This is minimum recommendations to avoid nutritional deficiencies, and does not guarantee that we would reach our optimal health. Many health experts recommend much higher protein intake especially for physically active people, older adults and pregnant women. 

I think the quality of protein is at least as important as the quantity of protein. The right type of protein is what makes you feel satisfied, and aligns with your values. Personally I prefer eating plant-based. It’s true though that animal protein contains all the essential amino acids in one package and that the distribution of amino acids in plants is not the same as in animal protein. Yet, there isn’t a single amino acid that we couldn’t get by consuming a variety of plant-based foods. If you choose to eat foods from animal sources, it’s important to choose high quality, organic foods as much as possible to avoid growth hormones and other toxins. The same goes when choosing plant-based alternatives. Highly processed fake animal products (like vegan meats and cheeses) are not healthfoods and, in my opinion, we should limit them. These junk foods have low nutritional value and they often come with ultra-processed oils, chemicals, added salt and sugar.

Grow Your Sprout Garden 

If you are looking to add more nutrients and enzymes to your diet in a simple, whole-food based way, start consuming sprouts. Sprouts are seeds that have germinated and become very young plants. In general the sprouting process increases nutrient levels making sprouts richer in protein, folate, vitamin C and many other nutrients than non-sprouted plants. The sprouting process also reduces many antinutrients, making it easier for the body to absorb the vital nutrients. This is the reason why bread made of sprouted grain is so much more easier to digest and healthier option than bread made of unsprouted grains 

Growing sprouts is a fun and easy way to add nourishing superfoods to your diet. I have a sprouting jar so I like to grow sprouts myself at home. I usually add 1-3 tablespoons of seeds (depending on the variety) into the jar, let the seeds soak in clean water overnight. After that I will rinse and drain the seeds with fresh water twice a day - every morning and evening - and allow them to grow for 2 to 7 days depending on the seeds. I like to toss sprouts into my green smoothie and salads. 

Sleep Yourself Smart and Beautiful 

Even though exercise is wonderful, we should not underestimate the value of sleep and rest. During sleep our bodies - including our brain - can recover. Also our skin looks better in the morning after a good night’s sleep, because sleep encourages healthy blood flow to our skin. At least I have noticed how much better my skin and eyes look when I sleep well. So, yes, I think beauty sleep is a real thing and there is even research behind this concept. Chronic poor quality sleep makes our skin age faster, because important processes like collagen formation cannot properly take place if we don't get enough quality sleep, meaning at least seven hours of quality sleep. Our individual needs are influenced by various factors such as our physical activity and overall health. To give an example, during the days when I teach several yoga or Pilates classes or when I am otherwise very active - like when I am travelling and walking everywhere - I need to sleep at least eight hours to recover and feel refreshed the next day. 

If you feel chronically tired and cannot sleep well, I highly recommend paying attention to your caffeine intake. According to a sleep expert Matthew Walker, the quarter life of caffeine is 12 hours meaning that if we drink a coffee at 10am, we still have a quarter of that caffeine circulating in our brain at 10pm and that worsens the quality of our sleep. I love a cup of coffee in the morning because it makes me so happy and inspired. Last year I did a 30-day caffeine detox and during those 30 days of my detox my sleep was super deep but there were days when I was forced to take an afternoon nap. After the 30-day detox, I decided to limit my caffeine intake to one cup of coffee in the morning and not to drink any caffeine after midday - including green tea. Consequently, the quality of my sleep is so much better now and I feel mentally sharper throughout the day. 

I am currently reading Walker’s book, Why We Sleep, and it’s a super fascinating book! The book is full of knowledge and interesting examples of how sleep affects our health and wellbeing. It has motivated me to pay attention to this often-ignored but influential area in life. Walker argues that humans are not sleeping anymore the way nature intended and this has come with severe consequences: there’s a causal link between sleep-deprivation and depression, heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. Today in developed nations most adults sleep in a monophasic pattern - that is, we try to sleep once per day at nighttime only, the average duration being less than seven hours. Walker argues that the practice of biphasic sleep would be the natural choice for humans and this type of sleeping is deeply biological; Ideally we would have one longer period of continuous sleep at night, followed by a shorter midafternoon nap. This kind of biphasic sleep is still observed in several siesta cultures throughout the world. Interestingly, in Ikaria (Blue Zone area in Greece) where siesta is still intact men are almost four times as likely to reach the age of ninety as American males. After learning about this I am seriously considering quitting caffeine completely and starting to take afternoon naps regularly. This is definitely a topic I will share more about with you in the near future.

To sum up, our daily choices may seem insignificant at first but by choosing whole foods, staying physically active in a sustainable and joyful way, and giving our bodies and minds a chance to rest and recover fully, we are preparing our bodies for a long and healthy life.

Sending you so much love and peace!

Resources: 

Books: 

Lifespan: Why We Age - and Why We Don’t Have To by David Sinclair, PhD 

Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker, PhD