Keep yourself younger, Anti-aging
Anti-aging and longevity, there has been many researches since thousands of years ago. Here, we introduce the way to keep yourself younger from the latest physiological stand points.
Physiological aging and Pathological aging caused by excessive stress
Biologically, aging would be reduction of regeneration of any tissue in human body. And those including cell regeneration, collagen tissue regeneration, which may be caused by reduction of biochemical compounds or biosynthsys, including hormon or enzymes, etc. Some of those would be from malfunction or dysfunction of organ, which could be from oxidization or lack of nutrition. Although, if any regeneration is greater than degeneration which human body can be restored, and prevent from aging. There several factors which would cause aging,
- cell damages by UV
- cell damages by free radicals
- damages from lipid peroxidization
- Glycation
- Deterioration of each organs' functions
Excess exposure under UV would be damaging cells especially integument and/or any organs under the exposure. Optimal Sun bathing is good for Vitamin D biosynthesis, although excess exposure would increase risks, not only aging but also skin cancer from the cells damage.(Optimal duration for sunbathing would be different by sunlight intensity and skin type. So, it would be depending on weather condition, season and its location, and your skin type.) Free radicals, lipid peroxidization and glycation would be most likely from what you have eaten. Source of free radicals you want to avoid/reduce,
- High GI Foods
- Avoid high glycemic foods like refined sugar and carbohydrates as they are likely to produce free radicals
- Processed Meats
- Preservatives in sausages, bacon, ham and salami produce free radicals and have also been listed as carcinogenic
- Red Meat
- Due to its high iron content, red meat would be more likely to make a person vulnerable to oxidation. It also depends on how/what were fed to the cows, although grass fed beef would have more more omega-3 fatty acid, which is antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, than grain fed beef.
- Alcohol
- Alcoholic drinks produce free radicals and also high in calories, so better to limit upto one or two drinks per day
- Heated/oxidized Cooking Oil
- Discard leftover cooking oil so it should not be reheated and used. Oils can be oxidized by heat and sunlight easily. Store oils in cool shaded place.
- Other Sources of Free Radicals
- Free radicals come with the metabolic process in the body and external sources including x-rays, smoking, chemicals, ozone and air pollutants, some drugs, and chemical pollutants
If you have chronic high blood glucose level, it could lead glycation of lipid/protein in your body, which would produce AGEs, cause inflammation in your body, may damage cells.
AGEs could remain in your body for years, even a decade. Amount of AGEs could be changed by how to cook. More heat, more oils would produce AGEs more.... you would imagin donuts for more AGEs.
In order to avoid such condition, decrease sugar intake, choose lower GI foods.
You may reduce foods like, donuts, candy, sweets, etc., also drinks with lots of sugars.
Each organs' functions would be very depending on autonomic nervous system and blood/lymphatic flow.
The function of the autonomic nervous system is greatly influenced by the mental health. So we can say, dealing with stress is very important. And of course, it might be also necessary to look your lifestyle over again.
1. Exercises
First, you may only need to do about 20 minutes of exercises a day at least, so it is important to make it as a daily routine. It would be good to be able to take a walk with a little perspiration.
If you are so exhausted from the exercises, it could be too much. Please stay in optimal level of exercises unless if you are athletes. Endurance training would increase efficiency of muscle mitochondria, which affect amount of production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, while its inefficiency may increase cell damages. 60% of maximum heart rate would be optimal level for the exercise.
In addition to improving immune function, exercise has effects such as improving blood/lymphatic flow, preventing lifestyle-related issues, preventing falls, and activating the brain.
2. Good Sleep
If you sleep well at night, you will be able to get up, move and work with enough energy and would get higher performance during the day. It is also important to ensure the rhythm of sleep in order to make a natural turn over between activate sympathetic nerves during the day and parasympathetic nerves functional well at night.
* For more information including nutritional recommendation for good sleep, please refer to the ariticle "Healthy Good Sleep" from AZ Sportivo Performance.
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3. Stress Management
People who are busy at work and always comming home late may not have enough relaxation time. In addition, busyness could easy to cause drinking too much and overeating from its stress. Finishing work earlier, go home earlier, if possible. And take a time for relaxation.
People who has strong sense of responsibility are often forced themselves to work too hard. It may also be necessary to "Take it easy and relaxed" somehow.
Even just taking deep breath, 10 minutes tea time would help you as well.
Also, Meditation, mindfulness, Yoga, Zen, Qigong would help for you stress management.
* For more information about Qigong, please refer Qigong Healing Exercise provided by AZSP Healing
** For service information regarding Energy Healing which include Stress Relieaf, please refer
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4. Keep your body warm
When basal body temperature is higher, the lymphocytes increased and activated, and the immunity boosted up. Also, when the body warms up, the blood vessels dilate and the parasympathetic nerves can be more assertive, making it easier to relax.
It's a good idea to take a bath at about 40 degC(or about 104 degF) for more than 10 minutes. Only shower alone would not warm your body and stimulates your sympathetic nerves, so you can't relax much. Try to take a bath slowly with lukewarm water.
* For more information, please refer the article Salt Soaking Hot bathing - AZ Sportivo Performance
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5. Power of laughing
When you laugh, parasympathetic nerves become more assertive. It is also known that NK cells, the cells that control immunity, are activated. Even if you make a fake laugh, you would be in the state which those effect would be observed.
Contracting the muscles for making smile, zygomatics major, depressor anguli oris, zygomatics minor, levator labii superioris, risorius would make parasympathetic nerves more assertive.
6. Foods for immunity
There are also foods that warm your body, Yang foods in Chinese Traditional Medicine. It is said that edible plants that been burried in the soil, such as root vegetables, potatoes, and ginger, have the effect of increase and maintain the basal body temperature which improve immunity.
Garlic
Garlic has lots of health benefits. One of phytochemical compound, allicin found in garlic is the source of the strong smell and its flavor, although its efficacy for health is not only enhance immunity, but also antimicrobial, improve metabolism, weight loss, improve cognitive function and even reduce risk of certain types of cancer. Research studies show more effectiveness of Garlic which includes reduce blood pressure, lower LDL-cholesterol, improve HDL-cholesterol and reduce risk of heart disease as well.
Ginger
Ginger has been popular for a long time as an ingredient that has a highly effectiveness for health and its flavor. Ginger roots boost Yang Qi which has been told in Traditional Chinese Medicine, warm your body. What we can expect as health effectivness of ginger are from the three major ingredients of ginger, which are Gingerol, Shogaol and Zingerone, in addtion to them, there are plenty of vitamins minerals and dietary fibers. The most signaficant health benefit from ginger would be antioxidants and anti-inflammation which would help for one of root cause for many diseases and symptoms, reduce inflammation from whole body. And other health benefit would be reduce blood sugar levels, stomach/digestive issue improvement, weight loss, lower cholesterol levels, improve brain function and pain relief. According to a research study about the pain relief or analgesic effect of ginger, the most effective was the relief of menstrual pain. It was also found that drinking ginger tea during menstruation can reduce nausea. However, there is also a regrettable research study that if you usually take acetaminophen or ibuprofen as painkillers, you would not get that efficacy well. On the contrary, ginger may affect the effect of the medicine, so if you are undergoing medication, be sure to consult your doctor before you start taking ginger extract or tablets.
Red Cabbage
Red Cabbage is very rich in Anthocyanin and Vitamin C. Anthocyanin is phytochemical flavonoid pigment very effective antioxidant. Vitamin C is a nutrient that plays various roles in human body, such as promoting iron absorption, strengthening immunity, activating enzymes that metabolize toxic substances that have entered into the body, and prevention of heart disease due to antioxidant action. In immune system, Vitamin C is contained a lot in white blood cells and lymphocytes that fight against viruses and bacteria in the human body, so taking vitamin C strengthens immune function and increases resistance to diseases. In addition, the reactive oxygen species would be generated when white blood cells fight against viruses and bacteria attacks normal cells if they occur excessively, but the antioxidant action of vitamin C suppresses the function of reactive oxygen species. Vitamin C is consumed rapidly by stress. If you are in condition under anxiety, fatigue, heat, cold, lack of sleep, or a cold, please take vitamin C more. Vitamin C is also indispensable for the production of adrenaline against stress, so it is effective to increase stress resistance as well. Other Vitamin C rich foods are Bell peppers, Broccoli, Kiwi fruits, strawberry, Kale, Spinach, Brussel Sprouts, Papaya, grapefruits, orage, tangerine, Lemmon, Lime, etc.
Spinach
Spinach is rich in various nutrients including vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid, iron, calcium, lutein, Beta-carotene, kaenpferol, nitric acid. As described in the Red Cabbage, we don't repeat Vitamin C explanation regarding improving immunity here. But, mention about the very important efficacy of Spinach, which would be help bulding blood cells and its purification. The iron contained in spinach is a component of hemoglobin that transports oxygen in the blood to the whole body, and it would help for anemia, muscle fatigue, headache and shortness of breath if the symptoms are from insufficient of iron. Iron absorption is increased by vitamin C and Folic acid, as well. So, there are very effective ingredients to building blood cells in spinach. Although, one of the phytochemical in spinach, which could make worse the absorption of iron and calcium, is oxalates. So, you would better to process, boiling and putting it to water before eat. But, if you dip it in water long time, vitamin C would be flowed out, so you may need to minimize the process. Most of carbohydrate in spinach exisists as dietary fibers, which would be good prebiotics and help intestinal health as well.
Broccoli
Broccoli contains vitamin C, which would improve immunity, as well as Red Cabbage and Spinach, and also contains Vitamin A, Vitamin E, minerals, dietary fibers, Sulphoraphane. Vitamin E promotes blood circulation. Vitamin E also increases the antioxidant effect by taking it together with vitamin C, which would suppress reactive oxygen species, which also leads to strengthening basic resistance. Sulforaphane would inhibits the growth of cancer cells. The amount of sulforaphane in raw broccoli is about three times greater than cooked broccoli. Sulforaphane has the ability to induce expression of sevral enzymes via the KEAP1/Nrf2 pathways typically characterized as Phase II detoxification enzymes, which are crucial to remove mercury and carcinogens. Most of Dietary fibers in broccoli is insoluble, which reach intestent and become prebiotics, would help intestinal health.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms are very low calorie in diet, contains dietary fibers, vitamins, minerals and also one of polysaccharides, Beta-Glucan.
Vitamin B1 works on the metabolism of glucoses and carbohydrates. If you are lack of vitamin B1, your body would has difficulty to turn glucoses and carbohydrates into energy, so the excess glucoses and carbohydrates would be accumulated as fat in your body and cause obesity. In addition, vitamin B1 would improve stamina, concentration, and reduce fatigue as well.
Vitamin B2 is a component related to the metabolism of lipids and works to keep and maintain the skin and mucous membranes. If you are insufficient in vitamin B2, it could cause stomatitis and dermatitis. Mucous membrane immunity in mucous membranes such as mouths that become the invasion ports of the virus. Mucous membrane immunity prevents viruses from entering into the body, so if the mucous membrane is not kept healthy due to the lack of vitamin B2, the immunity could decrease.
Vitamin B6 is used in various enzyme reactions in human body related to metabolism. If vitamin B6 is insufficient, the metabolism would be worse and as a result, the body would be difficult to keep body temperature, it would be hard to increase temperature. In the state of hypothermia, the flow of blood would become worse and which lowers immunity.
Vitamin D is the nutrition that promotes the absorption of calcium and can be synthesized in the body by sunbathing. If you try to take vitamin D from food, you can only take it from limited foods such as mushrooms and fish. By promoting the absorption of calcium, it creates strong bones and also acts on muscle development. When muscles develop, it not only increases immunity, but also leads to prevention of osteoporosis and diabetes.
Beta-glucan, which is most likely contained in mushroom cell walls, is very effective for increasing immunity. Beta-glucan activates the function of natural killer cells and white blood cells in the immune system. Therefore, in addition to preventing colds, it would prevent and improve allergies, even it would prevent cancer as well. In addition, beta-glucan is also effective for helping intestinal environment, so the people who are suffering from constipation may be able to expect improvement of the symptoms.
Other foods source of Beta-glucan would be oats, barley, seaweeds etc.
* For more information about intestinal health, please refer the article Types and effects of lactic acid bacteria
** For service information including foods for immunity, please refer Food Healing Science prvided by AZSP Healing
epilogue
There is a study that people with good lifestyles has longevity, live longer. People who have many good habits such as "not smoking", "drinking moderately" or "not drinking at all", "exercise regularly", "maintaining a proper weight", "sleeping 7 to 8 hours", "eating breakfast," would have higher physical and mental health. In addition, it is known that people who have acquired good habits since they are young are healthy, but they also have health benefits even if they improve their lifestyle habits after they got older. Better to start earlier to improve your lifestyle. It's not too late. Just start today!
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