DON’T just spring clean your home – give your health a makeover too.
Now is the perfect time to make some healthy changes that might help you to stay younger for longer.
New research by Columbia University in New York, funded by the US National Institute on Ageing, has found that restricting calories by 25 per cent can reverse ageing and add years to your life.
Dr Jeff Foster says: “One of the questions I get asked most is, ‘What are the best things to do to try to stay young?’.
“Ageing is a natural process that we cannot prevent. But, the good news is we can improve our chances of not ageing prematurely, by making some changes in our life, and now is the perfect time of the year to do that.”
From tongue scraping to saying no, here are 12 health trends to try in 2023
Here Dr Jeff gives his top ten tips to help minimise the signs of ageing . . .
1) STUB OUT CIGARETTES: Smoking is one of the most detrimental drugs for our bodies — affecting everything from your cancer risk to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but also at a more subtle level causing us to age prematurely.
Cigars and cigarettes reduce vitamin C in the body, leading to collagen breakdown and wrinkle formation.
Smoking also dehydrates skin, giving smokers dry, dull complexions.
2) CHANGE YOUR FAT: Aim to reduce your intake of saturated fats (butter, cakes and fatty meats) and increase Omega-3 fats (oily fish, nuts and seeds) that help to slow down a key biological process that results in tissue damage and visible signs of ageing.
From the age of 12 we should eat 140g (5oz) of fresh fish or one small can of oily fish twice a week.
3) EXERCISE: Keeping fit truly is the best medicine.
It improves heart function, reduces blood pressure and improves cell turnover, metabolism, hormone production and endorphin release.
It keeps bowels healthy and reduces cancer risk.
The benefits are different throughout your lifetime — e.g. it helps prevent arthritis more in the elderly than in children — but every age group can gain from being more physically active.
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4) KEEP YOUR BRAIN HAPPY: Learn to treat your brain like a muscle, which is exactly what it is.
Be sociable and avoid stress.
Practice mindfulness techniques and put away devices, phones and tablets when and where you can, to give yourself some head and brain space.
5) SLEEP: Those who think they can exist on just a few hours’ sleep a night risk heading towards a health nightmare in the long run.
Aim for at least seven hours aand make sure you switch off in the hour before you head to bed.
Leave your devices outside the bedroom door and invest in a good bed or mattress.
6) GET A HEALTH CHECK: Hormones, nutrients and organs decline with age but these can be tested and topped up when needed.
Speak to your GP or pop into your local pharmacy for advice.
For more information see nhs.uk/conditions/nhs-health-check or take a look at h3health.co.uk/mens-health/mens-health-mot.
7) LIMIT ALCOHOL: Government recommendations have now declined to a maximum of 14 units a week for men and women.
And it will probably reduce further.
While some studies suggest there are benefits of drinking alcohol, others highlight it as a significant risk factor for several types of cancer including head and neck, oesophageal, breast and stomach.
It is clear that moderation is key here, as well as making sure you have several alcohol-free days a week.
8) UP YOUR PROTEIN: This is needed to promote the growth of every cell in the body.
You should aim to eat a small amount of high-quality protein at every meal.
As we get older we cannot process it as efficiently so we need more to maintain bone health, muscle mass and just support our day-to-day function.
Studies show that older adults who consume higher levels of protein are less likely to lose “function” — such as the ability to dress themselves, get out of bed, climb a flight of stairs and stay independent.
9) REDUCE CALORIES: This can have a remarkable effect on the risk of developing diseases and conditions associated with ageing — including diabetes, clogged arteries, heart attacks and strokes — and can also prolong your life.
The best diet for those who are reducing calorie intake is a highly nutritious one rich in olive oil, vegetables, wholegrains, fish and fruit.
10) BALANCE YOUR HORMONES: These can affect nearly all aspects of our health and wellbeing and an imbalance can eventually lead to chronic health issues.
For women it is the loss of oestrogen and progesterone.
Hormone replacement therapy may not be for every woman but the vast majority will gain significant benefit from its use.
A quarter of all men will see a drop in testosterone levels, which can also have a devastating impact on their quality of life and the effects of ageing.
