Is “Anti-ageing” Attainable?
In many holistic medical practices and settings we hear this term promoted, and it begs the question is “anti-ageing achievable”? As we all age and contemplate the inevitable, we have to remember that none of us are getting out alive (at least not yet!) and so the goal of this life that we have all been given is to take the best care of our physical and spiritual bodies. One way is to engage in lifestyle decisions that slow down the ageing process and promote health. One of my favorite books on longevity is called The Blue Zones, which examines many of the proven traditions that provide the longest and highest quality of life. The findings of the authors recognize that the societies with the longest lifespan all engage in lifestyle practices that promote health naturally that then become cultural norms. These include: physical activity, diet/nutrition, spiritual practices and family/community. These societies are ancient but have much to teach their modern-day counterparts about living life to the fullest.
It has been my observation that the greatest contributors to the ageing process include: poor/insufficient sleep, excessive caloric intake, consumption of processed foods, lack of physical activity and the widespread use of pharmaceutical medications (prescribed and over-the-counter). By addressing each of these categories in our lives, we can slow down the ageing process. The “fountain of youth” is likely mythical and will depend more on the choices we make throughout life.
Sleep is often underrated in modern society as we think of it is as a luxury. Lack of sleep or poor quality sleep is arguably the greatest contributor to more rapid ageing. We put work and other obligations first, drive our bodies with caffeine and technology and then reduce the amount of time that our bodies spend rebuilding, repairing and rejuvenating during Stage 4 REM sleep. This is the antithesis of anti-ageing. The optimal quantity of sleep depends on the time of year with the highest amount of sleep occurring in the winter months.
Excessive caloric intake stresses the physical body by requiring processing of more food than the body needs to function. This leads to excessive energy being utilized to process and then eliminate the food consumed. The best practice is to minimize the number of calories ingested and time the consumption of calories to mirror one’s physical activity. It is best to eat the largest meal in the morning or midday, with the smallest meal in the evening to allow digestion to occur prior to attempting to go to sleep. When the body is digesting food it requires activity of the sympathetic nervous system, thus depriving our nervous system the blood flow necessary to repair and rebuild. Best practice is to pick a time at night to stop eating at least three hours before sleep and to allow for seven to nine hours of sleep each night.
Another factor in the ageing process is the abundance of processed foods and the widespread use of pharmaceutical products being employed. Consuming whole foods that are identifiable from the plant or animal from which they came is the best guide for what we should be putting into our bodies for fuel. Avoid processed foods. Start by reading labels and if you do not know what is in the food you are consuming, then it should be avoided. Medications can be lifesaving at times but minimizing the number of medications one takes is important to allow the body to operate exactly as it was intended. Avoiding over-the-counter medications is critical as most of these have long term health consequences that can be serious and life threatening.
At The Logan Institute (TLI) we offer several therapies that can help to restore and slow the ageing process when the above recommendations are insufficient. I have been applying regenerative techniques for many orthopedic issues including knee, shoulder, hip and joint pain utilizing one’s own supply of stem cells and rich growth factors from one’s blood. These techniques include PRP or PRF Therapy. We also use a variety of peptide injections that assist with restoring the immune system to produce less inflammatory molecules and support defense against invaders and repair of the host organism. Application of one’s stem cell can be employed to perform natural aesthetic procedures to facilitate one’s own repair mechanisms to increase collagen and reduce the effects of ageing skin. Ozone therapy and other oxidative therapies stimulate the production of antioxidants and immune proteins to help stave off some of the effects of ageing.
The most important aspect of health is to have connection with family, friends and spirituality. Make the time to connect and just “be”. Turn off your phone and meet a friend for lunch. Walk in a garden, sit in silence under the clouds or cut flowers to make your home beautiful. Enjoy this abundance of beauty that surrounds us and be in the moment…
-Dr. Logan
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