Longevity And Metabolic Health

The term longevity describes the ability to live a long life beyond the species-specific average age at death [De Benedictis & Franceschi 2006]. The term metabolic health means- how well your body can digest the food and convert it into energy whilst maintaining healthy levels of blood sugar, blood pressure, fat storage, muscle repair etc.

A good metabolic health is an indicator of lower chances of metabolic diseases like Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension, Cardiovascular diseases, Obesity etc.

Good metabolic health + Longevity= successful aging

In order to have both factors go hand in hand we need to lead a SMART lifestyle

Sleep- prioritise quality sleep in order to balance your hunger hormones, muscle recovery and cognitive health. Maintain a good sleep hygiene and if needed practise Brahmari pranayama to calm your mind before sleeping.

Metabolic eating- Build your meals around good quality proteins like- eggs, chicken, fish, whole dals, soy, low fat curd/yogurt along with fibers such as whole grains, whole dals, plenty of vegetables, flaxseeds, chia seeds. This will keep your energy levels stable and your essential organs like liver healthy. Fix up your meal timings and stick to it.

Activity- Apart from daily exercise, it is also important to live an active lifestyle. Stay physically active throughout the day. Instead of using the elevator, take the stairs, instead of sitting and scrolling on the phone, walk and use the phone, develop a hobby of evening leisure walking, set a goal of completing at least 10,000 steps a day.

Routine- develop daily habits that help in stress regulation and calming the nervous system. Avoid checking your phone right after waking up, develop a habit of journaling in order to reduce your anxiety and promote better sleep.

Tracking- it is important to keep tracking your progress. Maintaining a food diary, tracking your daily steps, getting a full body check up once a year- tracking all of this would give you a better understanding of your health.

Be metabolically SMART in order for successful aging.

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