The Fountain Of Youth

Fountain of Youth may be a treasure desired in legends and fantasy stories but the fact is that most of us want to live longer and in good health. Pharmaceutical companies and the beauty industry are investing a lot of money in research to find the ‘cure’ for ageing.

What if there is a way to delay ageing without a magic drug?

Having some extra free time over the Christmas period I came across perhaps one of the most important books everyone should read to live a happier and healthier life. ‘Delay Ageing: Healthy to 100’ by Colin Rose is a book published in 2020 based on extensive scientific research and literature. It addresses the ten hallmarks of ageing from DNA damage, senescent (‘zombie’) cells, dysfunctional mitochondria, failure in cell communication, slower metabolism, inflammation and so on that eventually lead to illness, poor quality of life and death.

The author gives simple solutions and suggests things that we can do, simple changes to our lifestyle that do not cost a fortune or require a lot of time.

Since the New Year is around the corner and most of us will be making some new year resolutions and setting goals, I thought it would be worth mentioning this book as it may inspire you to make some changes to your lifestyle that will allow you to live healthier for longer.

It does not come as a surprise that the key to healthy longevity is the right diet, exercise, stress reduction, sleep but also other things that we may not think of at first. In one of the chapters, the author looks into research that shows the effects of positive thinking on the length of our life. Published in 2002 research on 660 older people that had been followed for 23 years showed that those who had a positive view of ageing lived on average 7.5 years longer than those who had a negative view!!!

Moreover, the research carried further until 2015 showed that the ‘doomsters and gloomsters’ had a greater decline in the area of the brain called the hippocampus which is associated with learning, emotions and memory.

Another study on 7000 people carried out at Harvard School of Medicine showed that having a purpose in life is the key factor in healthy mental ageing. The study showed that people with purpose and aim take more care of themselves and their health and lead healthier lifestyles as they want to stay around long enough to achieve their goals. For each individual that will mean something different but in the simplest ways, it is the reason why you get up in the morning.

The author looks into various supplements, the benefits of restricting calorie intake, heat and cold short term shock to the body, immune system and so on in great detail outlining how it works in delaying ageing and more importantly preserving health.

For me, one of the biggest takeaways from the book is the dietary plan and supplements that the author suggests. When all is explained down to the cellular level and supported by tons of research and gathered in one place, the Delay Ageing Plan presented in the book does really give food for thought and at the very least can be an inspiration to positive lifestyle changes to many, regardless of age. As the book is more about promoting the healthiest we can be.

Happy goal setting for the New Year!