4 Ways to Hack your Longevity

According to the Global Wellness Institute and Dr. Michael Roizen, in 10 years, “90 will be the new 40.” Not only are we a culture obsessed with living longer, we also want to live longer better. Increasing longevity and improving healthspan can be obtained by making some simple shifts to your daily lifestyle. Here are four of our favorites:

Grounding

Grounding or earthing is in the most simple terms a tool that anyone can use to help realign the body’s electrical energy by connecting it to the earth. Grounding, also known as earthing, can be done by walking barefoot on the ground, lying on the ground, or swimming in a lake or ocean. It can also be done inside by using a grounding mat or socks. Although there isn’t a lot of research on grounding there are a few studies that have shown improvements in inflammation, pain, mood, energy, stress levels and sleep. Grounding may reduce pain and affect chemical factors related to inflammation which may ultimately help promote healthy aging.

Sleeping Before Midnight

We all know by now that getting our zzz’s is good for our health. Consistent quality sleep improves our mental and physical health and is linked with overall better quality of life. It’s accurate that the ideal amount of sleep for most people is seven to eight hours, however the exact amount will vary depending upon the individual. What also matters is when you get in those seven to eight hours. The sleep you get in before midnight may affect the quality of your sleep regardless of the hours you get in. Going to bed before midnight can aid in the quality of sleep. It’s a myth that an hour of sleep before midnight is equal to two hours after midnight—it’s not an exact science—however, every bit of sleep you can get in before midnight is beneficial. This is due to our circadian rhythm. Sleeping and waking as close to the sun going down and sun rising helps us get better quality sleep. No, you don’t need to go to bed the minute the sun goes down but it will help you to go to bed before midnight.

RELATED TO: How to Calculate Your Bedtime

Eating Essential Fatty Acids

We know by now that fat is our friend not foe and that a healthy diet includes a good amount of high quality healthy fats. What you may not know is that there is recently discovered essential fatty acid that may help improve the overall quality of your life and healthspan. It’s called C15:0 and it’s saturated fat. Remember, not all saturated fat is “bad” fat as we once thought. Actually, many types of saturated fat play important roles in a well-balanced diet. So, why haven’t you heard of this C15:0? It was the first essential fatty acid to be discovered in 90 years! It gets integrated into our cell membranes and serves as an armor for our cells to keep them healthy and protected. We only get a little bit of C15:0 from our diet in milk and butter, so this is one nutrient that we suggest supplementing with.

Walking 10,000 Steps A Day

Walking 10,000 steps a day is a great goal for those with longevity goals. Who doesn’t have these goals, right? But even better news is that we may not even need to walk this much to reap those benefits. This study showed that walking even 7,000 provided reduces the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. 10,000 is linked to greater benefits, so we say go for that, but feel positive that on those days you have less time, those shorter walks are still benefiting you.

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