5 Powerful Anti-Aging Practices That You Are Not Doing Consistently

5 Powerful Anti-Aging Practices That You Are Not Doing Consistently

By: Nathaniel Shober, ND

The following article is not meant to diagnose or treat any particular medical condition.  Always consult your physician before engaging in a new lifestyle change, especially if you have a pre-existing condition.  Seek further guidance to safely perform such practices.

As a doctor, I love seeing the patients that have the desire to take their health to the next level.  I call it fully optimizing their health.  I also love patients that are burnt out on taking supplements, botanicals, and having to follow unsustainable diets.  As a naturopathic doctor licensed in the state of New Hampshire, my treatment plans often do not include more supplements and medications.  While supplements are certainly necessary to elicit a therapeutic effect, they are not necessarily meant for the long term in all cases, and they are costly.  The following suggestions do not really cost anything more (and actually may save you money), other than an optional at-home initial investment.  

What can be difficult from a doctor’s perspective is when a patient says, “I tried that.  It doesn’t work”.  Especially from a “natural” approach to healing, in which treating the root cause of illness is desired, chronic disease takes a long time to reverse, and CONSISTENCY is key.  One may notice over time the wonderful benefits of implementing some life-changing practices.  To be consistent, one must engage in these practices several times per week.  

Another side note to the following practices is to keep in mind that the following health habits are not going to be comfortable initially, and that is okay!  What these particular practices are doing is creating “unfavorable” cellular environments.  As you start to carry out these health habits, keep in mind that in creating such stressful cellular environments, you are essentially activating self-preservation mechanisms – in the form of inherent stem cells, growth factors, hormones, proteins, and much more – all with tremendous health benefits to promote longevity.

1) FASTING

Did I mention you may save money?  In fact, it’s free, and one of the most beneficial things you can do for your health.  Here is where patients may say “So you want me to starve?  How is that good?”  Please do not confuse “fasting” with “starving”.  They are vastly different, with the operative word being…control.  Starving is the involuntary act of not receiving nourishment.  Fasting is the voluntary practice of not consuming food for spiritual and physical benefits.  While one can write an entire book on fasting alone, just a few of the benefits of fasting will be highlighted.

Since the modernization of food and its availability to humanity at any given moment, chronic disease has sky rocketed with increases in obesity, cardiovascular disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s, chronic pain, and diabetes to name a few.  It is no coincidence that the over consumption of food is implicated in such diseases.  Chronically elevated levels of insulin and blood sugar due to constant eating and snacking has put health at risk.  

On the contrary, our bodies are made to go long periods without food and even perform better with higher functioning brain power, thanks to the body’s conversion to fat as a fuel source, rather than glucose.  

In a fasting state the following occur:

- Decrease in insulin – leads to decrease in cardiovascular disease, blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, and Alzheimer’s.

 

- Increase in adrenaline – leads to increase in metabolism, and energy.

- Increase in HGH – leads to the promotion of lean muscle mass, athletic recovery, and tissue healing.

- Autophagy activation – “Cellular cleaning” in ridding of old cells to be replaced with new cells, decrease inflammation.

- Digestive system recovery and rest – Decreases gut inflammation, tightens “leaky gut”, improved nutrient absorption.

- Enhanced brain function – Increases in the preferred brain fuel source – ketones, which enhance brain function.

These benefits are just a few of the “super powers” that can be attained with fasting.  To gain the benefits of fasting, the body will benefit from just one fast.  However, consistent fasting on a regular basis will promote a cumulative effect on the body.  Fasts can be performed daily for 16 hours, weekly for 24 hours, monthly for 4 days, every other month for 8-9 days, or a time frame combination. 

2) Sauna

Upon initial thought, most love the idea of a nice hot sauna session on the regular.  The trick is to stay in long enough to feel uncomfortable.  Sauna sessions create that “unfavorable” environment after prolonged exposure to heat and is a positive stressor on the system.  It should be noted that one should not stay in a sauna to the point of feeling faint.  Merely stay in long enough that there is significant perspiration build-up on the skin.  

There are several benefits to sauna therapy.  One being detoxification.  The body is incredibly efficient at eliminating toxins through the perspiration – both organic and inorganic toxins.  Heavy metal buildup and organic solvents found in everyday chemicals impede biological processes and lead to chronic diseases.  Regular sauna helps manage everyday toxin exposure.  

A second major benefit of performing regular sauna sessions is the induction of what are called “heat shock proteins”.  Heat shock proteins are also known as “molecular chaperones.  They monitor the shapes of proteins and destroy misfolded proteins.  This sounds like a rather simple process, but the folding of proteins has significant biological consequence.  Heat shock proteins clear misfolded proteins and prevent the aggregation of faulty protein complexes, that lead to serious diseases.  Heat shock proteins are the definition of “anti-aging”.

There are a few options for home saunas available.  The simplest version is a soft-shelled infrared sauna.  No need for anything expensive or designing an elaborate build.  Infrared also has its own health benefits – pain relief, tissue repair, an others.  Please be aware of knock off versions that emit abnormally high EMF’s and do not produce quality infrared heat.  Feel free to reach out to my practice on a home 

3) Cold Water Therapy

This is a difficult one to convince people to perform regularly.  You will just have to believe me that after consistent practice of cold water therapy, it gets easier.  At some point, you may even feel guilty for taking a warm shower.  Perhaps after understanding the benefits of cold water therapy, one would be more motivated for a 1-3 minute freeze session.  

Cold water therapy is becoming more and more studied for it’s beneficial effects – particularly on the immune system.  Science is showing that white blood cell (immune cells) production increases.  Furthermore, the circulation of these immune cells are also enhanced with exposure to cold, increasing the “patrolling” of the cells for pathogens.  

Other benefits of cold water therapy include:

- Mood enhancement through the production of endorphins

- Stress reduction

- Improved sleep

- Increased libido

- Enhanced metabolism and fat burning

- Decrease in pain

Incorporating cold water into your daily routine is easy enough with simply ending your shower on cold.  Eventually, you will just take the entire shower on cold.  Again, consistency is best here.  Not only for the ongoing health benefits, but for adaptive purposes.  Simply, start ending showers with cold.  Make it a challenge and see how cold it can get and for longer time frames.  Or if a more enhanced effect is desired, get into a cold shower from the start.  This admittingly is easier after a sauna session or a workout.  Just know that any bit of cold water is beneficial.

4) Build (and Maintain) Muscle

This may be a little bit of an obvious one, however, it isn’t well known that muscle is the largest endocrine “organ” in/on the body.  Muscle itself produces and secretes what are called “myokines”.  These myokines are signaling factors that have very positive effects on organ function and metabolism.  Muscle is inherently “Anti-Aging”.  What a better way to ensure healthy aging simply by lifting and putting down heavy objects.  Not to mention, life is just more enjoyable when one is strong.  To quote a famous body builder – “Muscle makes you harder to kill, and generally more useful.  

Again, the key here is consistency.  Muscle needs to be constantly worked.  It does not have to be an elaborate workout plan – walk further in the parking lot with groceries; lift the dog food bag several times; till the garden by hand.

5) Grounding/Electron/Photon Therapy

There are 2 main reasons why we age – Inflammation, and oxidation.  That’s it.  These are the root causes of aging.  Most of us have heard of inflammation.  We have also heard of “anti-oxidants”.  Anti-oxidants neutralize or quench free radicals of which are oxidative factors.  Oxidation, by definition is the loss of electrons.  Anti-oxidants work by donating an electron to the free radical molecule, so that the free-radical does not “steal” an electron from an cell/tissue/organ.  Once again, a simple process, but an astounding and cumulative effect on the aging process.  

There is really nothing we can do about free radical production and their effects on the body.  But we can add electrons and photons into the system to otherwise make up for the loss of electrons, and it is so simple.  Just walk outside on the ground or beach barefoot!  The earth is emitting an endless supply of electrons.  This is not “woo-woo” medicine.  Grounding is proven science.  There are also grounding sheets to sleep on, and other electron producing devices out there.  

Photon therapy is similar to grounding, yet, instead it is the addition of light molecules into the body that have similar regenerative effects for damaged tissue structures.  

All of these daily practices will yield a higher quality of life and a longer life.  Noticeable changes will be experienced in your health, and without costly supplements, or practitioner visits.  Please reach out to my office for further guidance on how to implement these practices.

Dr. Nathaniel Shober is a licensed naturopathic doctor.  He owns his own practice, Greystone Regenerative Medicine, in Concord, NH, and specializes in pain management and joint regeneration.  He can be reached through is website at www.greystoneregenmed.com.