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1.12.2023 How to reduce your biological age
Biological age, which reflects the state of our body, can be influenced by a number of factors. A healthy lifestyle and appropriate habits can play a key role in reducing biological age and promoting overall health. What can you do to slow down time?
Last year, the American Heart Association released an updated list of “Life’s Essential 8,” which it describes as key actions to improve and maintain cardiovascular health.
This year, the nonprofit released a report based on an analysis of the habits of more than 6,500 adults, which found that following the guidelines below can actually reduce your “biological age” — also known as your phenotypic age — by up to five years. And that’s a lot.
“A person’s chronological age can be measured in years, months, and days, but biological age is a reflection of chronological age, genetics, lifestyle, and environment,” Dr. Satyajit Reddy, a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic Arizona, told the Huff Post.
But there are also plenty of modifiable aspects of your lifestyle that can help minimize your biological age, and many of them are included in the American Heart Association’s checklist.
“Cardiovascular health can slow the rate of biological aging, which can reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular and other age-related diseases while prolonging life,” the official statement said.
Try to eat mostly whole foods, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, nuts, and seeds.
“I advise people to limit their intake of processed foods, especially processed carbohydrates and sugars,” says Reddy.
“Processed foods often target our appetites and indulgences. Sugar is already in so many processed foods, even restaurant foods, that we often have to be mindful and vigilant to avoid overeating.”
The cardiologist suggested paying attention to how you feel after eating. “If you feel hungry or tired within an hour or two, it probably wasn’t an optimal meal,” he said.
2. Physical activity
Regular exercise has many health benefits. It helps maintain a healthy weight, supports proper heart and blood vessel function, and may even slow the aging process.
The American Heart Association recommends that adults get 75 minutes of vigorous activity or 150 minutes of moderate activity per week. Children, on the other hand, should get about 60 minutes of exercise a day, including various types of play.
Even short-term activities that make you out of breath are good for your health
According to Reddy, regular exercise, such as going to the gym, is a great way to stay healthy, but many people feel anxious about exercising, especially if they don't have time to participate in it regularly. That's why it's important to choose an activity that will fulfill you.
3. Quit smoking
It’s widely known that smoking contributes to poor cardiovascular health. But according to the American Heart Association, secondhand smoke and vaping can also be incredibly dangerous.
“Traditional cigarettes aren’t the only problem. In modern America, we’ve been led to believe that vaping is better than smoking, and that’s not actually true,” Leslie Cho, chief of preventive cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic, said last year, citing health concerns related to vaping that include lung problems, cancer, and nicotine addiction.,
4. Get a healthy amount of sleep
The debate over how many hours people should sleep has been going on for decades.
The American Heart Association says adults should aim for an average of seven to nine hours of sleep per night, because too little or too much sleep has been linked to heart disease, studies show.
5. Watch your weight
Experts also note that maintaining the right weight for your specific body type can help increase your longevity and improve your biological age.
This doesn’t mean going on extreme diets and obsessing over beauty stereotypes—that approach is often the opposite of good health. Instead, focus on eating nutritious foods and exercising to feel good. Every body is different.
6. Control your cholesterol
High levels of low-density lipoprotein, also known as bad cholesterol, have been linked to heart disease, stroke and other conditions, so it's important to check your levels at least once a year, especially if you have a family history of the condition.
"Foods high in soluble fiber and phytosterols have been found to be helpful in lowering bad cholesterol," explained Dr. David Samadi, citing nuts, avocados, olive oil, beans, soy, apples, grapes, strawberries and citrus fruits as examples.
7. Control your blood sugar…
On a biological level, almost everything we eat is converted into glucose, or blood sugar, which our bodies use for energy.
“Over time, high blood sugar levels can damage your heart, kidneys, eyes, and nerves,” the American Heart Association states in its guidelines.
“As part of testing, hemoglobin A1C monitoring may better reflect long-term control in people with diabetes or prediabetes.” The main way to keep your blood sugar under control is to monitor your blood sugar levels and eat a healthy diet.
8.…and so is blood pressure
According to the American Heart Association, optimal blood pressure levels are less than 120 over 80 (120/80 mmHG).
The more you stay within an acceptable range, the healthier you will be. In addition to eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise, the Mayo Clinic recommends reducing the amount of sodium in your diet, limiting your alcohol intake, and trying to reduce your stress levels.
Make sure you monitor your blood pressure at home and get regular checkups.