Let me point you to the ONE thing you need to do to age well.
In recent years, I have listened to many webinars, read many articles, and attended conferences about longevity and ageing well. While I understand that there are many things we need to do to not just live longer but live full and healthy lives for as long as possible, it all comes down to ONE thing.
If we are NOT “doing” that ONE thing, it is most likely that we are also not doing most of the necessary things to age well.
It is a known fact in neuroscience that our thoughts and our beliefs influence our actions. An example: If you believe that you are not fit enough to climb that mountain, you are less likely to even attempt to climb it.
In the same way, what you believe about your ageing or ageing in general, will influence your actions as you get older. It will be very subtle at first, but it is so easy to fall into that trap more and more often very quickly! Read the Harvard Study Positive attitude about aging could boost health | News | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Once you believe that lack of energy is simply a sign of ageing, you are less likely to address it once you experience it.
On the other hand, if you look at lack of energy as a “symptom” for something you can address, you are more likely to do something about it.
It could be your diet. It could be that you haven’t been exercising enough or too much, it could be an early symptom of something that a GP or a test can pick up on.
If you believe that it is something that you can address, you will take action. If it is something you see as something inevitable, you will just put up with it and most likely feel bad about it.
Often our thoughts and beliefs are so deeply routed though that we simply cannot SEE that there is another way of thinking. But there is! Often we think, we are just “fooling” ourselves by trying to think differently. For example, you might think there’s no point that in thinking that my knee pain does not have anything to do with me getting older. It still won’t go away.
Yes, your knee pain might have something to do with you getting older, but that doesn’t mean that you cannot do anything to reduce that pain! As long as you believe there is nothing you can do, you won’t do anything. Your thoughts drive your behaviour. And your behaviour then often re-enforces what you believe anyway. Your pain stays because you are not taking action. And then you keep telling yourself – “see it’s not getting any better”. It is like a self-fulfilling prophecy.
It is so easy to fall into that trap of blaming things on getting older, and I catch myself more often than I like. But then I look at my 13-year old border collie. She is getting slower, and she’s struggling getting up, she’s gone a bit grey and she doesn’t hear as well anymore (It’s great at the moment though, because she doesn’t hear the fireworks at Halloween that used to scare her!). But she still gets as excited about going for walkies or chasing the ball as she was as a pup.
I love this quote: Ask yourself: How would you feel – What would you do – if you didn’t know how old you are?
I love this quote: Ask yourself: How would you feel – What would you do – if you didn’t know how old you are? So, in short, once you start to change what you belief about age, you will take action. And you will slow down the ageing process! This too, has been proven in research. People who don’t blame age, but rather circumstances not only heal quicker but are overall healthier and feel younger.
The first step is AWARENESS. Listen to what you are saying. Have you said any of these things?
– I’m having a senior moment.
– The knees just aren’t what they used to be.
– That’s just the way it is, just haven’t got the energy anymore.
– There’s no point anymore in starting this, I’m too old for it now.
– I have noticed that I just cannot eat meat anymore, I just can’t seem to digest it properly.
– There’s no point anymore trying to lose weight, I’ll never fit into that dress again.
The 2.Step is once you catch yourself blaming something on age, to re-frame the sentence.
- So, I forgot the name of this, it’ll come back in a moment, especially when I keep trying so hard.
- Ok, my knees need a bit more attention. I’m going to look for a good physio who will help me strengthen the muscles around my knees.
- So, I’m feeling a bit tired these days, I will go do a full blood test with my GP to rule out anything major, then I’ll get my nutritionist to have a look at my food diary at the moment. I might be missing some vital nutrients.
- It’s never to late to start something I love doing!
- I find it difficult to digest meat in recent times. Maybe I need to chew better and slow down when I’m eating. Or maybe I need a supplement such as digestive enzymes that help me digest the food better.
- I love this dress so much, I will find a way to lose the weight again. There’s no point in buying a whole new wardrobe. I will do my very best and if need be I’ll look for help and support.
The 3rd step is to ADAPT.
There is no denying that our bodies and our metabolism changes as we age. Our DNA changes and replication of the codes are getting more and more difficult and “mistakes” can happen. But the food we eat contains messages, food “talks” to our genes and can influence how well the “transcription” works.
Just because we are getting older does not mean you need to stop anything! Find a good gym or personal trainer where you are being challenged in a safe way. If you struggle with running for whatever reason, go for long brisk walks, or hikes up the mountain. Take up golf where you are outdoors for at least 4 hours. Get a dog that will get you out daily. Dance. Lift weights. Anything that brings you joy and gets you moving is better than sitting on the sofa lamenting your sore knees. Don’t believe if one physio tells you to stop running. Get another opinion.
Do whatever exercise you can do, but do something to strengthen your muscles on a daily basis. Don’t be afraid of lifting something heavy. Our bodies are designed to do so.
Exercise is only one thing that many people stop or drastically reduce at a time when they actually need more of.
Food is another thing that many people reduce as they age. Nutrient deficiency is not uncommon, and often stems from the fact that we produce less stomach acid as we age and therefore many older people find it easier to eat carbohydrates (i.e. toast, bread, pasta) than eating meat. But these carbohydrates affect our metabolism and have zero nutrients. Slowing down when eating, eating bitter food before a meal, or taking digestive enzymes are just some of the measures that can help digest and absorb the nutrients better.
Eating an anti-inflammatory diet such as the Mediterranean diet can be as much as it takes to avoid joint pain. Removing foods that cause sensitivities, intolerances or allergies can also reduce inflammation and often my clients see an improvement in joint pain or feel they can move easier.
There are way too many things to mention here in this article, but I will continue sharing everything I learn about healthy ageing with you in my blogs (such as 6 super easy tips to reverse feeling old) and my newsletters. So, make sure you stay subscribed, and please recommend it to your friends as well.
The main message that I wanted to share in this post is that:
