The key to a long life just might be looking after your telomere health. In this article, we take a look at what you can do to keep your body and its telomere young and healthy.
Did you know it’s estimated that your cells will replicate 100,000 trillion times in a 100-year lifespan?
That is a whole lot of replication!
Cell replication is at the core of longevity.
Fast and efficient cell replication equates to a body that is thriving – a body that has optimum chances of living to the upper limits of the human lifespan – plus a body that looks good and feels great.
And the way to keep your body replicating cells like a boss: look after your telomere health.
Read on to find out how to improve your telomere health so you can live longer and younger!
What the heck are Telomeres?Telomeres are an important part of DNA chromosomes.
They occur at each end of our chromosomes and form a kind of a cap.
This cap works to protect the chromosome during replication.
Without the telomere caps, our chromosomes can become frayed and damaged with repeated replication.
Having healthy, long telomeres will ensure that your cells are dividing and replicating like nobody’s business.
When your body is young, cells replicate quickly and easily.
As we get older, cells begin to lose their ability to replicate. This causes aging.
One of the reasons why this happens is shortened telomeres.
So, if you plan to live to 100 like I do, then taking care of those telomeres is important!
1. Eat for Your Telomere HealthOne of the best ways to look after your anti-aging telomeres is to eat a nourishing diet.
One can supplement to meet these gaps. But, The American Journal of Nutrition advises that we get our nutrients from food. This is because nutrients are more readily available in food form.
If you want to start a telomere nourishing, anti-aging diet, then these are the number one best foods which are effective at telomere regeneration.
You can also check out my longevity smoothie!
2. Get Your Sweat OnWe all know that exercise is good for us. But a recent study compared the telomere length of over 2400 twins. The findings showed that after 1 year the active twins were biologically younger than the sedentary twins.
A further study showed that participants who did not exercise were biologically older by 10 years compared to their highly active counterparts.
These amazing effects of exercise on telomere length are attributed to the fact that exercise boosts a renewable protective layer that covers our telomeres.
So if you want to get your DNA anti-aging on the up and up… go and get your sweat on!
Need some motivational support to stay active and healthy? Check out my video course Stop Emotional Eating!
3. Double down on Vitamin DVitamin D is a backbone nutrient of good health. Turns out, it is also great for telomere regeneration and maintenance.
Numerous studies have shown a direct link between adequate vitamin D levels and long, healthy telomeres.
Unless you are a sun baby, vitamin D is one nutrient that you might need to supplement with.
I prefer taking my Vitamin D with Vitamin K – because it’s researched to be the most effective. Plus I take it in liquid form.
Here’s the exact Vitamin D that I take daily!
4. Resveratrol for DNA Anti-AgingEver heard that red wine can make you live longer? This incredible benefit associated with vino tinto comes from resveratrol.
The resveratrol in red wine has been pinpointed as having a rejuvenating effect on aging cells and chromosomes.
A UK study found that old, ‘tired’ cells exposed to resveratrol within hours looked and acted like much younger cells, and showed increased telomere length.
Resveratrol occurs naturally in red wine, red grapes, blueberries, and dark chocolate.
You can also buy it in supplement form.
It’s common knowledge that extreme stress is not good for us. The data is in that it can cause all manner of health issues.
Not only does stress cause health problems, but it can also decrease the length of one’s lifespan.
Fortunately, chilling out a little can counteract these negative effects.
For example, one study found that women who practiced meditation had longer telomeres than those who did not.
A previous paper in 2009 linked mindfulness with telomere protection.
Check out my new book Instant Calm – which offers fun and simple 2 minute meditations -based on tapping into your senses of smell, touch, taste, sound and sight!
Karen Salmansohn, age 58
Maintaining your goal weight (healthfully) is a super satisfying feeling. But not only does it feel good – it can also increase telomere length!
According to research, the oxidative stress that comes with increased BMI levels and fat stores damages both DNA and telomeres.
One study revealed that obesity and its effect on one’s anti-aging telomeres can subtract up to 9 years of longevity.
I personally have dealt with weight issues– because I used to be an emotional eater – and developed some scary health issues! I’ve since mastered my binge eating – in a permanent way – thanks to specific psychological tools! If you need support to master your thoughts and habits around food, check out my bestselling video course: Stop Emotional Eating.
If you brave the commute or live in one of the world’s hubs, your anti-aging telomeres may be at risk from exposure to air pollution.
A study comparing telomere lengths of traffic officers and office workers found an increased rate of telomere shortening in the traffic officers. This was thanks to heightened exposure to car fumes.
It may feel like there is not much that one can do about air pollution. But, you can invest in a high-efficiency particulate (HEPA) air filter. Another thing you can do is change the air filter on your car regularly.
And if you live next to a busy highway, be sure to sleep with your windows closed.
Guys and gals, the data is in. Maintaining telomere health might just be one of the top ways to increase your lifespan.
Having long telomeres safe guiding your cellular regeneration not only holds the potential to make you live longer. It also maximizes the vitality of your entire body. This means more energy, fewer health problems, and a body that is upgrading itself 24/7/365.
If you want the complete manual to living long and well, check out my bestselling book: Life is Long: 50+ ways to live a little closer to forever.
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