It's not how old you are. It's how you are old

 “Your face is marked with lines of life, put there by love and laughter, suffering and tears. It's beautiful.”

- Lynsay Sands.

Aging refers to the physiological changes we experience during our life. The cells in our body decline over time. In our course, Why Do We Age? In the Molecular Mechanisms of Ageing, we cover the theories of aging, looking at the molecular and cellular processes involved and explaining what happens to our bodies as we grow older. 

By understanding these processes and what aging is, we can see how to delay, prevent or reverse aging. We can also determine what lifestyle changes we can make to hold off getting old and where scientific advances could help in offering a cure. Who knows – in the future, science could lead to immortality!

Cause of aging 

Aging is a closely orchestrated process – a process of wear, tear, and repair systems in our body. Our cells get energy from food and from the air that we breathe. This process of metabolism results in toxic byproducts, which healthy cells can quickly dispose of. 

However, oxidative stress is the burden put on our cells in their efforts to dispose of any toxic byproducts from metabolism. Our ability to repair cellular wear and tear depends on how well we manage oxidative stress. This is the process that is central to aging.

By managing oxidative stress through lifestyle and dietary choices, we can significantly delay cell damage and slow down or reverse aging.

Three components of successful aging 

1 Manage your health 

2 Personal development 

3 Stay involved

 This definition of successful aging focuses on inputs. It is about the choices we make to stay healthy, how we contribute to the world around us, and how we develop our own skills and abilities – at every age. 

Our behaviors are the single most important factor in how we age. Of course, our physical and social environments play a part, but the diversity of aging experiences is largely due to the choices we make.

How the face ages 

Dozens of changes take place as the years add up, some of them obvious and familiar:

• Foreheads expand as hairlines retreat
• Ears often get a bit longer because the cartilage in them grows
• Tips of noses may droop because connective tissue supporting nasal cartilage weakens.

There are also structural rearrangements going on behind the scenes. When we're young, fat in the face is evenly distributed, with some pockets here and there that plump up the forehead, temples, cheeks, and areas around the eyes and mouth. With age, that fat loses volume, clumps up, and shifts downward, so features that were formerly round may sink, and skin that was smooth and tight gets loose and sags. Meanwhile other parts of the face gain fat, particularly the lower half, so we tend to get baggy around the chin and jowly in the neck.

Few steps to slow aging 

 Make a note of any resistance – or positive emotions – you feel as you read each one:

I am young.

My body is young.

I can be as healthy and energetic as I used to be.

I’m not that young anymore.

I’m too old to call myself young.

My body can’t do what it used to do.

I will never be young again.

I feel old.

Your experience reading those aloud should give you some clues about what you really believe about your age. Be sure to tap through any limiting beliefs you discover. (If you’re new to tapping, learn the basics here)

As we’ve seen, positive beliefs as well as limiting negative beliefs can become self-fulfilling prophecies. As just one example, I often notice how people who believe they’re “not young anymore” begin to change their behavior without even realizing it. For example, they might injure themselves while playing sports, and decide the injury was a result of their age, rather than from falling down.

Because of their limiting belief that age is making their body more prone to injury, they then begin exercising less often and less vigorously. As a result of those changes in their behavior, they have less energy and their body grows even weaker. Not realizing how much less active they’ve become physically, they then blame decreases in their physical strength and vitality on age, which confirms that they’re “too old” for vigorous exercise.  Their health, strength, and energy levels continue to decline. And the cycle continues.

 Habits that slow down the aging process

Healthy diet 

Exercise 

Quit drugs and smoking 

Good Sleep

Protect from sun 

Stress-free

Never too late to benefit

Even people who already have signs of premature skin aging can benefit from making lifestyle changes. By protecting your skin from the sun, you give it a chance to repair some of the damage. Smokers who stop often notice that their skin looks healthier.

If signs of aging skin bother you, you may want to see a dermatologist. New treatments and less-invasive procedures for smoothing wrinkles, tightening skin, and improving one’s complexion are giving many people younger-looking skin.

Eating more plants

Adding more plant foods to her diet is one of Christie Brinkley’s age-defying secrets to making 65 look like 34. “Following a plant-based diet—or one that emphasizes foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains—can support healthy aging by providing important nutrients to brain and body health,” says Abby Sauer, MPH, RD, a registered dietitian with Abbott. “However, plant-based doesn’t have to mean plant-exclusive. Other foods like eggs, low or reduced-fat dairy, and seafood can also contribute important nutrients.”

The Mediterranean diet, which includes some animal products, is a great example of a plant-based diet, she says. “Research suggests it may lead to lower cholesterol and triglycerides, and a lower risk of heart disease and other health conditions.”

Getting enough protein

But eating mostly plants shouldn’t mean missing out on protein. Studies show that protein is especially important in maintaining muscle mass as we age. “People over the age of 40 may lose up to 8 percent of their muscle mass per decade, and the rate of decline may double after the age of 70,” Sauer says. “Yet a recently published study from researchers at Abbott and The Ohio State University found that more than one in three Americans over 50 aren’t getting the recommended amount of protein.”

She recommends adults snack on protein sources like nuts, Greek yogurt, or string cheese. Also, “add protein-toppers to meals, such as hummus to a turkey sandwich, diced chicken to pasta, or beans to salad, and aim to eat 25 to 30 grams of protein at every meal,” she says. (Learn the 15 best sources of plant-based protein.)

Being outdoors

Vitamin D, the “sunshine vitamin,” helps keep your bones strong, and it may also help protect against age-related conditions like heart disease and cancer. According to a study of more than 2,000 women, those with higher vitamin D levels also had longer telomeres, the caps on the ends of DNA cells that determine a cell’s lifespan. Another study found that older adults with low vitamin D levels had a harder time with everyday tasks like walking upstairs, dressing, and even cutting their toenails.

“Getting 15 to 30 minutes of sun exposure a day should be adequate for vitamin D production,” says Dr. Jani. “Of course, that is not through sunbathing but by being outside with normal clothing.” You can also get vitamin D in foods, such as fatty fish like salmon, egg yolks, and fortified foods including cereals.

Keeping your gut healthy

Research has found the collection of “good” bacteria in your intestines, called the gut microbiome, may have implications for how your body ages;. It may even protect you from some age-related diseases such as dementia. In one study published in the journal Cell, the presence of certain gut bacteria actually slowed the rate of aging in worms, which may lead to anti-aging bacterial treatments for humans in the future.

“About 70 percent of your immune system resides in your gut, so maintaining gut health as you age is important to your overall health,” Sauer says. “Among other things, your gut provides protection from infections, regulates metabolism, supports your immune system, and promotes a healthy gastrointestinal function.” To encourage healthy gut flora as you age, Sauer recommends choosing prebiotic and probiotic foods such as fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut, and kimchi. Exercise, fiber, and fluids can also help keep things moving through your digestive tract. (Still, confused? Learn the difference between prebiotics and probiotics.)

An active brain

Numerous studies indicate that you may be able to lower the risk—or delay the onset—of age-related mental conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s if you have “cognitive reserve”—resilient brain networks that keep working even if other parts of the brain suffer damage. You can build up this reserve by staying actively engaged in learning new skills and continuing to socialize throughout your life.

“The best way to keep your brain active and sharp is practicing an activity that focuses the mind,” Dr. Jani says. “In addition, constantly learning new things or expanding one’s knowledge in the profession that they may be in also helps tremendously.” For example, research shows that learning complex skills like digital photography or quilting enhance memory and cognitive function in older adults. (Following this advice could be just one of the 50 reasons why you’ll age better than your parents.)

Having a positive attitude

The old saying is true: You’re only as old as you feel. Forgetting their age is one of the 24 stay-young secrets of ageless women. Research backs up the benefits of staying young at heart. Having a positive attitude about aging, maintaining a purpose, and staying socially engaged may help slow the physical and mental aging process. One study revealed that people with a positive attitude lived 7.5 years longer than pessimists, regardless of health. Another found that negative thinking led to steeper physical and cognitive declines.

Yet another study showed that glass-half-full types were less likely to develop dementia, even if they had a high risk for the disease. “Maintaining a positive attitude and remaining connected socially not only helps us prevent depression, but also helps us better cope with health conditions, and even live longer,” Dr. Epstein says. (Here’s how to develop a positive attitude in 6 easy steps.)

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