To Your Health
September, 2011 (Vol. 05, Issue 09) |
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Find Your Own Fountain of Youth
By Dr. Julie T. Chen
History shows us that people will go to great lengths to search for ways to remain young. The literal and figurative quest for the elusive "Fountain of Youth" is alive and well to this day.
While there is no way (at least yet) to "live forever," the process of searching has helped us to learn more about the multitude of factors that seem to allow for longevity and lifelong health. Here are some easy ways to find your own
Fountain of Youth and live a healthier, happier life.
The Right Attitude
Within populations of people whose longevity seems to be more common, a natural curiosity and optimism (one that is usually more common only in children) appears to be more prevalent. It may be that a positive outlook does indeed promote positive outcomes, in that people who have a propensity toward optimism and excitement about basic aspects of life (as children do) may experience less physiological stress and thus be healthier. We know psychophysiological stressors can do great harm to the body over time. It makes sense that positive perceptions and lifestyle changes which promote lower levels of psychophysiological stress would be beneficial.
The Right Fuel
Aside from cognitive and lifestyle changes, we also know from studies that consuming an anti-inflammatory diet which is more plant-based is beneficial in slowing the progression of aging. Even with our skin, anti-inflammatory diets and foods tend to slow down aging of the skin. So, when we eat an anti-inflammatory diet, we are essentially promoting youth from the inside out. Since disease progression and aging have a lot to do with chronic inflammation in our body, when we eat foods that help to decrease the inflammatory chemicals in our body, we are essentially able to use foods as anti-aging medicine. In general, the main points to keep in mind when trying to eat more anti-inflammatory foods are to cut back on fatty, sugary, processed foods while increasing consumption of foods that are natural, organic and unprocessed.
The Right Schedule
Are you are prepared to make the above changes to achieve "eternal youth"? Well, there is just one more thing you should keep in mind: The human body is a machine. If you are going to keep it well-tuned with premium oil from your anti-inflammatory foods, you should also remember that all machines need time to rest and cool off. So please allow yourself time to rest every day, multiple times per day. This goes back to the idea of decreasing stress on the body because stress ages the body. It is imperative to make sleep a priority in your life, and to incorporate relaxation time into your busy schedule. The busier you are, the more you need it - even if it's just a few minutes here and there throughout the day. Just like you would never drive your car across the country without stopping, you shouldn't expect your body to be running constantly without intentional periods of rest.
Pablo Picasso once said, "Youth has no age." It is in our ability to create youthful qualities in ourselves that keeps us ageless. The knowledge of the ingredients necessary for longevity and health, as well as the discipline to implement them, is the anti-aging map we should all be looking for. Do not allow your numerical age to dictate your level of youthfulness. When we are able to hold on to the positive outlook of our younger years, consume the foods we know we should based on the wisdom that comes with our aging, and imitate the slower pace of our elders, that's when we are finally able to discover our own version of the Fountain of Youth.
Five Daily Anti-Aging Tips:
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Hydration is important for cellular functioning, so make sure you drink liquids regularly throughout the day. - The phytonutrients in plant-based foods are essential for health and wellness. Eat plenty of vegetables and low-sugar fruits every day.
- Rest is necessary for your body to run optimally. The way to figure out how much sleep you need is to think about how much you sleep on a relaxing vacation, when you fall asleep naturally and wake up without an alarm. The number of hours you get on a relaxing vacation per day is generally how much time your body is craving for sleep.
- Take time to have fun with your loved ones. Social support and positive experiences have been seen in studies to be beneficial to health.
- Make sure to keep your body moving every day, even if it's just walking up and down stairs at work or taking a noon-time stroll around the block. Exercise is key to living a long and healthy life!
Dr. Julie T. Chen is board-certified in internal medicine and fellowship-trained and board-certified in integrative medicine. She has her own medical practice in San Jose, Calif. She is the medical director of corporation wellness at several Silicon Valley-based corporations, is on several medical expert panels of Web sites and nonprofit organizations, is a recurring monthly columnist for several national magazines, and has been featured in radio, newspaper, and magazine interviews. She incorporates various healing modalities into her practice including, but is not limited to, medical acupuncture, Chinese scalp acupuncture, clinical hypnotherapy, strain-counterstrain osteopathic manipulations, and biofeedback. To learn more, visit www.makinghealthyez.com.
