Senior Couple

Longevity through Lifestyle and Diet

Aging is the process of gradual degeneration of all of the tissues of the body through an insufficiency of new cell production to replace the old, worn-out cells, which end up dying at a faster rate than the body can generate adequate replacements. The good news is that this process does not take place by time alone, but is facilitated by various environmental factors, which can either accelerate the aging process or halt it indefinitely.

The most important of these environmental factors is the effect of free radicals on the body, which on a cellular level cause damage to the genetic material (nucleic acids, DNA, and RNA) and the cell's protective membranes leading to malfunction and degeneration. These free radicals are oxygen-based, which is why antioxidants have the effect to neutralize these aging factors.

Antioxidants are readily available in many foods including:

  • artichoke
  • asparagus
  • avocado
  • beans (small red beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans)
  • beets
  • carrots
  • olives (in the form of extra virgin olive oil)
  • red pepper
  • russet potato
  • spinach
  • tomato
  • walnut
  • pecan
  • hazelnut
  • açaí
  • prunes
  • dark grapes, including currants
  • raisins
  • purple grape juice and red wine
  • sesame seeds (especially black), and tahini
  • blueberry (especially wild blueberry, a.k.a. bilberry)
  • blackberry
  • cranberry
  • strawberry
  • raspberry
  • plum
  • orange
  • red grape
  • cherry
  • kiwi
  • pink grapefruit
  • undutched cocoa powder
  • dark, semisweet chocolate
  • white tea
  • green rooibos tea
  • green tea
  • red rooibos tea
  • oolong tea
  • black tea

Traditional Chinese Medicine theorizes that aging is due to a gradual drying up of the youth bearing essence, Jing, which is inherited from our parents and stored in the kidneys. This essence is transformed into energy and blood to support our life activities and as we age it is slowly used up. This Jing can be interpreted as the hormones of our endocrine system and the fluids of our body, which support the key factors of youth, including: maintaining the original color and abundance of hair, the lubrication of the skin, the sharpness of vision and audition, the strength of the bones, the flexibility of the joints, the abundance of energy, sound cardiovascular health, clarity of mental function and memory, and, finally, sexual vitality and libido. Jing is wasted by excessive work, stress, excessive ejaculation, drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes. However, Jing can be replenished by specific exercises such as qigong, yoga, and deep breathing into the abdomen as well as by specific foods and herbs.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine Theory the foods that tonify Jing are black or blue in color including black sesame seeds, black beans, seaweeds, huitlacoche, black zapote, and blackberries. Other foods that tonify Jing are seeds (which contain the essence of the plant), nuts especially walnuts, and berries particularly raspberries. The herbs in the Chinese pharmacopia that have been traditionally used to tonify Jing have been proven by modern research to be anti-aging, testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone increasing, anti-osteoporosis, memory improving, and cholesterol and blood pressure lowering. Some of the better known of these herbs are Dang Gui, Astragalus, bee pollen, Royal Jelly, Reishi Mushroom, Ginseng, Goji Berry, Schizandra, Fo Ti, and Solomon's Seal.

Lifestyle and daily habits have been proven to be the foundation for either radiant health or gradual deterioration of the bodily tissues.

Here is a list of 5 aging catalysts to be avoided:

  1. Overeating — fill the stomach no more than two thirds full
  2. Eating heavy meals late at night
  3. Sudden, extreme dietary changes
  4. Damaging foods such as sugar, excessive salt, alcohol (1 glass of red wine, occasionally, is permitted), processed foods, chemical food additives, pesticide sprayed foods, coffee (linked to osteoporosis), fried foods, commercial dairy products (pumped with hormones and antibiotics)
  5. Cigarettes, harmful chemicals, toxic inhalants, silver amalgam fillings (linked to Alzheimers), frequent flying and long flights (due to jet fuel exposure)

Five factors to include in your daily regime are:

  1. Regular exercise — cardiovascular, including walking and dancing, as well as relaxed exercise, such as qigong, tai chi, yoga, pilates, and breathing exercises.
  2. A low animal protein, balanced diet that includes organic raw vegetables (disinfected), sprouts, fruits, (all of which contain valuable enzymes and vitamins destroyed in the cooking process), whole grains, seeds, nuts, fish, soy products, and legumes.
  3. Fresh vegetable juices — wheatgrass, carrot, beet, parsley, spinach, celery, cucumber, and chlorophyll.
  4. Foods rich in essential nutrients and minerals (such as Calcium, Omega 3,6,and 9, iron, and zinc)- seaweeds, garlic, onion, shitake mushrooms, pearl barley, quinoa, kamut, bulgar, amaranth, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, hemp seeds, garbanzo beans, pistachios, nopal, kale, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, salmon, flaxseed, oats, and mung beans (contain anti-pesticide ingredients).
  5. Mental emotional well-being through meditation, relaxation, reading spiritually inspiring literature, hiking, pursuing a hobby that brings joy, processing and releasing old issues, and self introspection and exploration.

Remember that there is a lot more to aging than just the chronological passing of time. While genetics are definitely a factor, our environment and lifestyle are the most shaping influences on our heath and longevity. If we treat or body well we are rewarded with extra years of radiant health to enjoy watching our great-grandchildren grow up and have the energy to keep up with them.

All the best,

Cofe Fiakpui L.Ac. MATCM