5 Proven Ways to Age Gracefully: Say No to Blood Transfusions!
THIS ESSAY WILL GIVE YOU 7 PROVEN WAYS to age gracefully. And no, the tips do not include blood transfusions, hyperbaric oxygen chambers, or cold plunges. Today, we explore slowing aging.
And fish and chips are not in the mix either, despite this newspaper headline I read today in the Seattle Times:
“The world’s oldest man says the secret to his longevity is luck, plus regular fish and chips.”
I’ll start with a nod to the perpetual human search for immortality.
Montaigne on Death
The French Renaissance thinker Montaigne mused on the omnipresence of death, likening it to a grip on our lives.
Montaigne advocated not succumbing to the fear of death but confronting it directly.
This approach echoes principles found in Eastern spiritual practices that emphasize mindfulness and awareness.
Montaigne on True Fulfillment
Montaigne challenges the prevailing productivity culture, urging us to recognize that true fulfillment lies not in our external achievements but in the richness of our inner world.
“We should always, as near as we can, be booted and spurred, and ready to go, and, above all things, take care, at that time, to have no business with any one but one’s self.”
He reminds us to prioritize self-awareness and introspection, emphasizing the importance of being fully present with ourselves above all else.
Immortality
Yet, ponder this: What if there were a way to slip free from death’s grasp?
What if immortality were within reach, eluding death’s clutches indefinitely?
Throughout history, people have tried all sorts of things to live forever.
In the Epic of Gilgamesh, one of humanity’s oldest tales dating back to the 22nd Century BC, the title character sets out on an epic quest to attain everlasting life.
Gilgamesh searches for a special flower that would make him young again.
But even though he found it, it didn’t work out. He lost the flower, and like everyone else, he eventually died.
It’s a story about how we all want to beat death, but no matter what we try, it’s just not possible. And that lesson still matters today, especially when we think about ways to stay young.
Biohacking the Body
Fast forward to the modern era, and we continue to see attempts to turn back the aging clock.
In 1990, Daniel Rudman shook up the field of aging research with his groundbreaking study on human growth hormone.
He observed that lean body mass decreased as the body produced less growth hormone.
Intrigued, Rudman and his team decided to test whether injecting synthetic growth hormones into older men could reverse this decline.
The results were remarkable: the men experienced rejuvenation, increased muscle and bone growth, and decreased fat.
Profiting on Slowing Aging
This discovery caught the attention of entrepreneurs eager for profit. They saw the potential to market growth hormone as an anti-aging treatment.
Media outlets joined the hype, touting the treatment as a “fountain of youth” and sparking discussions about possibly halting the aging process altogether.
And we start the age of anti-aging profiteering.
Cracking the Code: Inside Blueprint, A Tech Guru’s Radical Age-Reversal Protocol
LET’S GO INSIDE “PROJECT BLUEPRINT,” A TECH ENTHUSIAST’S anti-aging program.medium.com
Biohacking in the 21st Century – Slowing Aging
If we look closely at cells, we discover tiny parts called molecules that play crucial roles in how our bodies work.
One of these molecules, mTOR (short for mammalian target of rapamycin), is like a central command center, sending signals all over the body.
By controlling mTOR, we can influence how cells age and multiply. Scientists have developed several drugs that can tweak the activity of mTOR, potentially helping to slow down aging.
Biohacking Tradeoffs – Slowing Aging
But, we often don’t hear this: There are tradeoffs.
For example, one can naturally manipulate mTOR into a similar state by restricting calorie intake. Intermittent fasting (IF) is one way to do this.
Here’s how intermittent fasting exerts its anti-aging effects: If mTOR only signals cells to grow when sufficient nutrients are around for it to be worthwhile, consuming fewer calories means less mTOR activity.
Drops in mTOR activity should translate to drops in cell growth and death.
The tradeoff? While aging appears to slow, there is immune system suppression.
Let’s turn to five evidence-based ways you may extend your health- and lifespan. Let’s turn to slow aging.
1. Slowing Aging – Move
The key to exercise is finding something you enjoy and can consistently do. You don’t need to overdo it either.
According to the American Heart Association, just 150 minutes of moderate-intensity weekly exercise — a brisk walk of over 20 minutes daily — is enough to reap benefits.
2. Sleep
Sleep often gets underestimated, yet it’s crucial for healthy aging. Studies show that the amount of sleep you get each night is linked to your risk of death from any cause.
Consistently getting good quality sleep can even extend your lifespan by several years.
Particularly, sleep seems vital for brain health: recent research discovered that individuals who slept less than five hours a night were twice as likely to develop dementia.
3. Avoid Bad Habits
You already know this, but as a cancer doctor, I have to say it: Smoking cigarettes increases your chances of dying of several diseases.
Lung cancer comes to mind, but many other cancers are linked. Plus, cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke. And more.
Excessive alcohol — more than one drink per day for women and two for men ( and possibly even less than that) raises your risk of heart disease, liver problems, and seven cancer types.
4. Focus on Relationships
Having strong relationships isn’t just about living healthier — it’s also about living happier.
The Harvard Study of Adult Development discovered this:
Meaningful connections with others are the most significant predictor of overall well-being.
5. Manage Your Medical Problems
The numbers are daunting for Americans. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC):
- Nearly half of us have high blood pressure.
- Almost two in five of us have elevated cholesterol.
- One in three have pre-diabetes.
Please get in touch with a valued healthcare provider if lifestyle changes don’t alleviate these problems.
And listen to their advice.
“As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all — the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them.”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Get an email whenever Dr. Michael Hunter publishes.
drmichaelhunter.medium.com.
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