The 9 Essential Habits for Immunity, Energy and Aging Better
Did you know that after 45 your body doesn’t need as many calories as it once did?
Throughout most of my life I have had a fast metabolism. I would need to snack fairly consistently throughout the day and have a more protein rich diet to keep hunger at bay. Over the last year I noticed that I don’t get as hungry as I used to and can go for a lot longer between meals and often eat less at meal times.
It turns out this is because after the age of 45 your body is no longer building. It moves into protecting and preserving which requires less fuel. If you consume less food your body has less to do so its overall function can improve.
Some effective ways to reduce how much you eat include:
cut out bread, pasta, rice and other carbs - we lose the ability to process carbs as we age and this is why there is an increased risk of type 2 diabetes,
try to tune in to whether your body is really hungry - you may be dehydrated and need water, you may be needing affection, exercise, fresh air, sleep or are trying to distract yourself from something. Before opening the fridge or cupboard take a moment to assess if you’re actually even hungry,
eat till you’re around 80 percent full - satisfy your hunger but don’t eat till you have to unbutton your pants.
16 Hour Overnight Fasting
Fasting has become more popular with the rise of the 5 and 2 diet. Intermittent fasting works well for some but can be quite difficult for others. Instead having a window of 8 hours in which you eat and then fasting for 16 hours can feel less of a challenge. Especially when you’re asleep for 7-9 hours out of the 16.
Your digestive system works better when it has time to rest and recover and your body repairs better as not so much energy is going into digesting. Fasting is a “small stress” that helps to stimulate your longevity pathways. It takes about 16 hours of fasting to kick your cellular detoxification system (autophagy) into doing what it’s meant to do. Proper detoxification supports strong immunity and healthier aging.
If you like the idea of overnight fasting start with 12 hours one or two nights a week and build up to 16 hours or more every night. You’ll need to eat dinner earlier and your first meal will be later in the day. Stick to water in the morning as it rehydrates you and can get things moving. If you’re a coffee drinker you can have one but will need to forego the milk and sugar.
If you exercise in the morning you’ll also get the benefit of burning fat as there is no sugar in your system being to used for energy.
Support Your Gut and Immunity
Taking the pressure off your digestive system by reducing carbs and the amount of calories you consume will also support your immune system.
70% of your immune system is found in your gut. It is important to create a healthy gut microbione full of good bacteria. Your microbiome should resemble the amazon jungle with lots of diversity. If it doesn’t the delicate gut wall loosens and fragments of food, toxins and bacteria can pass through the wall into your blood stream. This is called “leaky gut” and can cause inflammation. Signs your digestive system is off and ‘leaking’ are:
joint pain,
skin rashes,
moodiness,
anxiety,
depression,
brain fog and
hormomal issues.
Eat fresh, preferrably organic and unprocessed food, stay away from antibiotic and hormone riddled animal products and commercial produce sprayed with glyphosphate. Eat prebiotic foods such as garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus and fermented foods daily. Up your anti-oxidant production. Sleep, hydrate, meditate.
Support Your Production Of Collagen
Collagen is now a very popular supplement in the beauty and skin industry. But, did you know that your digestive lining is made up of collagen?
Collagen production declines rapidly, starting in your late 20s to early 30s. This significant loss of collagen over time affects your gut lining. Supplementing with collagen can help to heal your gut wall by tightening up the weaving so there are no tiny spaces for particles to move through. This will ensure that all the pre and probiotics you take plus your healthy diet will help your gut thrive so your wellness and immunity improve.
Not all collagens are created equal though. Most on the market only contain 1 type of collagen and all they do is resplenish collagen so you have to keep taking them. However, a liquid collagen was recently launched into the Australian market that activates your body to make it’s own collagen. It delivers 10 different types of collagen peptides including plenty of Type 1, it builds collagen, minimises collagen breakdown, increases anti-oxidant levels and activates collagen synthesis. This is a world first product and is leading the way in using nutrition to get your body to do what it does naturally rather than just dumping a whole lot of stuff in and hoping your body can use it.
Get Serious About Cutting Sugar
Sugar gets more harmful as you age. It weakens the immune system and feeds diseases like diabetes, heart disease, cancer and Alzheiemer’s to name a few. It is an addictive substance that stimulates the same areas of your brain that cocaine and heroin do.
Those wrinkles which develop on your face and elswhere are your body showing that your sugar intake is rusting your body. If it is doing this on the outside imagine what it is doing on the inside.
Delete cereal, cookies, lollies, fizzy drinks, and fruit juice from your diet. If you need a sweet treat eat some berries or a green apple. The fibre in fruit slows the absorption of sugar minimising the rush and plummet caused by standard sweets.
If you need to sweeten your coffee or tea use Stevia. And, if it’s a real struggle to cut back on the sugar take glutamine to help trick your brain into thinking you’re getting glucose.
Sleep More And Sleep Better
Getting high quality sleep as you age will help improve your life before aches and pains arrive. Some of those aging signs are just that your body needs more, better and regular rest. Most people do best with 7-9 hours sleep.
Setting yourself up for good sleep includes:
morning sunshine to sync your circadian rhythm,
meditating in the morning,
exercise/cardio workouts during the day to make it easier to fall asleep
limiting afternoon caffeine - after you drink a cup of coffee half the caffeine will still be in your system 7 hours later,
alcohol disrupts your sleep cycle and is likely to wake you up in the night, plus it turns into sugar,
make your room as dark as possible for good melatonin production
lower your core temperature - a hot bath an hour before bed can help you to feel cooler,
cut out bed time snacks - they wake your digestive system and contributes to weight gain,
turn off screens at least 30 mins before bed as the blue light from tellies and other screens stimulates your brain.
If you’re really struggling with getting a good nights sleep you may need to look at improving your GABA production. GABA is an amino acid that limits neural activity thus facilitating sleep. It also reduces mental and physical stress, lowers anxiety and depression, and creates a calm mood. GABA also plays an important role in regulating muscle tone which is great for healthing aging.
Ways to increase GABA naturally include:
exercise
meditation and mindfulness
yoga
limiting/cutting alcohol and drugs
avoiding junk food
eating foods like broccoli and spinach, bananas and berries, almonds and walnuts, yoghurt, fermented foods, lentil beans, brown rice, halibut, shrimp, soy
drinking green tea,
supplementing with magnesium, zinc, B6 and taurine
shiatsu with acupressure at points around the ankle bone - BL62 and KI6
activating your Nrf1 pathway to increase mitochondrial (energy) production - after years of poor sleep and trying lots of different medications, supplements, plus all of the above this has worked the best for me and finally given me quality sleep.
Keep Moving
Exercise as you age is not just about workouts. Moving regularly throughout the day is better than a 1 hour session at the gym especially if that gym session happens between long periods of sitting.
Physical activity alleviates stress and depression, improves circulation, promotes higher-quality sleep, builds immune resilience and reduces the risk of chronic diseases.
After the age of 40 you really want to limit injury and harm to your body as your capacity to heal lessens. So, adapt your fitness routine to your body as it changes - gentler workouts with short burts of high intensity, aqua classes, don’t ignore or push through pain.
To make yourself a more active person:
take an earlier train or bus to work and get off a stop or two sooner and walk the rest of the way
skip the lift and use the stairs if you can - easier to go up than come down
make your lunch break a movement break and if possible get outside.
Watch What You Drink
It’s a no brainer that a lack of fluids leads to loss of energy, irritability, headaches, poor concentration and lessens your ability to cope.
When you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated. As you age the thirst signal can fade so your mouth just doesn’t get the memo the way it once did. As a rule of thumb try drinking at least four big glasses of filtered water a day. Add slices of cucmber, lemon or other fruit to flavour your water if that makes it easier to drink or some a nootropic sachet if you want to really give your brain a boost.
Tea counts towards hydration but coffee doesn’t as it is a diuretic. Avoid fizzy drinks, fruit juice, bottled ice tea and those horrific energy drinks. Most contain chemicals and artifical sweetners which are toxic to your body.
Alcohol also becomes difficult to break down as you age. It weakens your immune system, ups your sugar intake = weight gain, interferes with your sleep, and can make you feel grumpy and snappish.
I’m not saying never have it. A red wine with friends or family can be nourishing in an emotional way. Just watch your intake, remember it’s a toxin and if you have to have it that’s an issue and something to deal with.
Cultivate Connection
Spending time with people you love is a very beneficial to healthy aging. It feels good to sit with friends, talk and laugh. Socialising is a wellness activity and as we age we need to weave in more time with dear friends.
If you’re finding that you’re not engaging with others on a weekly basis let your interests lead you to kindred spirits. Building a strong loving social structure around yourself limits the risk of isolation as you get older and provides the cushioning you need when life gets tricky.
Plenty of social contact in middle age and later of life drops the risk of dementia. So build and cultivate your community. Have people over. Say yes to invitations. It’s more important than you think.
Have A Positive Attitude Towards Aging
It may seem as though as we age there is lots we have to give up. However, it is more an opportunity to be generous with ourselves in other ways and definitely have a sense of humour about aging. To age better:
Look for what feels good, motivates you and also does no harm.
Enjoy small healthy pleasures - a hot bath, a walk at sunset, a weekly shiatsu massage
Pepper your life with supportive, health-affirming practices
Stay light and positive
Embrace change
Nurture your body and mind
Smile at yourself
Go with the flow
The above are the 9 essentials for immunity, energy and aging better. You don’t have to do them all at once. Try picking one a month and work on making it more the rule than the exception.
A regular Shiatsu can support you to feel healthier, calmer and age well. If you are ready to book in or have more questions, please get in touch!
*I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post contains affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.