lifestyle – Page 4

Seven Deadly Health Sins

May 31, 2016 oblanderchiropractic

jolly-roger-200-300 Behind many of the debates about healthcare in the US—its availability and cost as well as its effectiveness—is an important phenomenon. The demands being placed on healthcare providers are growing and changing (at least in large part) because of the way we live our lives. Day-to-day choices we all make are contributing to a wide variety chronic health conditions that are sometimes referred to as “lifestyle diseases.” And while our healthcare system is very good at treating acute medical problems, it is not very good at preventing or treating chronic ones.

In many cases, it’s fair to say that the health we get in the future is a result of the lifestyle decisions we make in the present. With this idea in mind, it’s also fair to ask whether it makes good sense to ask our healthcare system to single-handedly save us from the effects of our own unhealthy habits. This is why, as chiropractic physicians, we work closely with our patients to help them be more active in their own health by taking more responsibility for their own lifestyle choices.

So which lifestyle choices are causing the most trouble? While we could obviously point out harmful behaviors like smoking, drinking too much alcohol or using harmful drugs, the behaviors that really need more attention from most people are much more fundamental. We call these the “Seven Deadly Health Sins” that compromise longevity and quality of life.

Sitting Too Much. According to the Mayo Clinic, those who have a sedentary lifestyle are in danger of things like “obesity and metabolic syndrome — a cluster of conditions that includes increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels.” A recent study showed that those who spend a large amount of time in front of a television or other forms of screen entertainment had a roughly 50% greater risk of death from any source.

Eating Too Much Fat, Sugar and Salt. The typical American diet not only contains too many calories, it’s also too high in fat, salt and sugar. In excess, these ingredients (all too common in processed foods) trigger a wide range of complex, self-inflicted health problems.

Sleeping Too Little. According to a recent poll by the National Sleep Foundation, a combination of daily stress and lifestyle choices (including nighttime activities as well as eating and exercise habits) is causing more than a third of the U.S. population to get fewer hours of sleep than they need.

Drinking Too Little Water. Most of us would be much better off if we drank lots more water and fewer sugary drinks. While there’s no real evidence that Americans are chronically dehydrated (despite all the hard work of bottled water companies), there is plenty of evidence that the things we are drinking aren’t particularly good for us from a nutritional point of view.

Mismanaging Stress. Our relationship with stress is a complicated one. The simple truth is that stress itself isn’t inherently positive or negative for our health. The thing we actually have to pay attention to is how we respond to it. While the physiological stress response we’ve inherited through evolution is designed to help us confront immediate physical dangers, most of today’s threats aren’t immediate or physical. The result of this mismatch is that our “fight or flight” response may stay switched on for much longer periods than nature intended. This in turn can cause a variety of health problems. Since stress is an inevitable part of modern life, it’s important for us to embrace the positive view of stress that helps us grow and develop while also learning how to turn off the harmful effects.

Ignoring Posture Problems. The way we carry ourselves while sitting or standing can have lasting implications for our musculoskeletal health. The bad news is that poor posture can reduce our strength, flexibility, and balance and—at the extreme—can cause pain and even compromise organ function. The good news is that posture problems can be corrected once they’ve been recognized. Even better, it’s possible to prevent them by developing good habits in the first place.

Putting Off Preventive Healthcare. The best time to pay attention to your health is while you still have it. Unfortunately, many Americans still cling to the reactive “sickness care” model and don’t take full advantage of the expanded preventive care options that have been made available to them as a result of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The US Department of Health and Human Services estimates the ACA made 76 million Americans “newly eligible” for free preventive care. But a Kaiser Health Tracking Poll in March 2014 revealed that only 43% of the population was aware of the change, meaning that many people are probably foregoing preventive care out of cost concerns. Remember—it’s always better to recognize and treat a health problem early before it grows worse and becomes more difficult to address!

By avoiding these Seven Deadly Health Sins, you can also avoid many chronic health conditions. If you or someone you care about has health questions or concerns, we encourage you to call or visit our office today. We’re here to help!

Spring is Here and Summer is Coming! Ease into Your Warm-Weather Exercise Routine to Avoid Injury

May 17, 2016 oblanderchiropractic

Woman is trained on a riverside — woman-stretching-legs

The prospect of warmer weather just around the corner, especially after a winter like this one, is already inspiring many people to “get back in shape.” It’s like a second chance at that New Years’ resolution you made back in January and never followed up on because it was freezing outside.

We all know that exercise is good for us. But no one likes having to put on ten layers of clothing to run outside or having to drive 20 minutes to the gym for a one-hour workout during the winter months. At around this same time every year, spring weather makes it easier for many people to “reboot” their exercise goals and to increase their level of physical activity. However, it’s important to use some common sense when jump-starting your warm-weather exercise program.

There are at least two big reasons why. First, statistics tell us that over half the people who start a new exercise program quit within six months. “Easing into it” and taking things slowly at first can help to prevent this. Second, starting to exercise again after a period of inactivity can lead to a number of injuries that can easily be avoided by taking a more realistic approach to exercising again. For example, if you’re a runner, don’t start out by trying to run a marathon. Ease into a new running routine by starting with short runs and extending the distance you run each time you go out. Also, try to remember the following general guidelines about exercise in general and exercising in warm weather.

Always warm up before exercise and stretch/cool down afterwards. The warm-up period is far more critical if you haven’t exercised for a while, because you need to get your body used to increased activity before you put demands on it. So do your jumping jacks or other gentle exercises to raise your heart rate and get your circulation going before you start your sports or exercise routine, and then do some stretching afterwards during a “cool down” period to allow things to settle down again.
Start slow, and don’t overdo it. If you’ve been inactive for some months, start with a couple of weeks of vigorous walking before you ease back into running. Also, if you’re an outdoor runner, be sure to pace yourself when picking routes, remembering that you have to run just as far to get back home.
Set goals, measure your progress, and try to keep to them. If possible, work with a trained sports/exercise counselor at your gym to set realistic exercise goals for yourself. Then carefully monitor your progress, making note of exactly how far you run or how much weight you lift in each session. Doing this will help you actually see your own progress and provide additional motivation when you run into problems or your performance plateaus.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. We can’t say this enough—hydrate. Drink lots of water before, during, and after exercising, especially as the temperature and humidity rises. The amount of water you need to consume depends to some extent on your weight and how long you exercise, but as you make progress and your workouts get longer, remember to consume a sports drink beforehand to replenish your electrolytes. This becomes more important as temperature and humidity rises, and you begin to sweat more.
Cross-train. If possible, try to vary your workouts, even as you’re easing back into them. Try running one day, lifting weights the next, and swimming the next, etc. This will develop different muscle groups more evenly and help you avoid injuries caused by repeatedly using the same ones.
Listen to your body and be aware of your limitations. If your arthritis has been acting up all winter, naturally don’t start with exercises that put a lot of pressure on your knees and joints. As a general rule, avoid believing in the “no pain, no gain” meme. That’s for committed athletes, and until you’ve been back in the swing of your exercise routine for six months or more, you’re not one. Don’t push yourself to the point of pain, and if you feel weak or in pain after a particular workout, rest for a day or more before exercising again.
Dress right. Yes, the temperatures are warmer, but be sure to wear proper clothing and foot gear for the sport or exercise you are performing. A remarkable number of injuries are caused each year by things as simple as running while wearing improper shoes.
If you become injured, remember R.I.C.E. This acronym stands for Rest (take off for a few days to rest the injured area), Ice (apply ice or cold packs to reduce swelling and inflammation), Compress (wrap swollen areas in a compression bandage), and Elevate (raise the injured limb). Avoid activities that use the injured area for a few days—you can still remain active, but don’t rush back into the same activities that caused the injury in the first place. For example, if you sprain your ankle, spend the next week exercising your arms and upper body.

If you are overweight or have known health problems, consult a doctor first. Don’t be macho—discuss your plans to get back in shape with your physician, and follow his or her advice.

10 Great Reasons to Stay Hydrated

May 12, 2016 oblanderchiropractic

Water is essential to life. Our bodies are already 60%-70% water, and those reserves need to be replenished on a daily basis to keep us healthy. Add either extreme heat or extreme cold (both of which dehydrate us), and drinking enough water becomes even more critical.

Exactly how much water we should drink each day is an open question. As reported by the Mayo Clinic, the Institute of Medicine has determined that adequate water intake per day is roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) for men and 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) for women. Some sources recommend more, some less, but there seems to be no question within the healthcare community that many of us should be drinking more water than we are. Here are a few reasons why:

Water curbs your appetite, and contains zero calories. Both of these reasons should have some appeal to you whether you’re actively trying to lose a few pounds or just trying to maintain a healthy weight. Studies have shown that often when people think they’re hungry, they’re really thirsty.
Water increases your energy levels. Studies have indicated that a cup of water can be more effective at boosting your energy levels than a cup of coffee. One suspected reason for this is that our perception of fatigue is often caused more by dehydration than actually being tired.
Water is good for your skin. Rather than investing in expensive creams and lotions, why not invest in a few more glasses of water per day? They will help to keep your skin healthy, radiant, and glowing. And it’s a lot less expensive than anything you could buy at the cosmetics counter.
Water increases your brain power. According to a study in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, subjects who drank a glass of water before performing a series of cognitive tasks reacted faster and thought more clearly than subjects who did not.
Water helps maintain the balance of your other bodily fluids. You lose moisture daily via sweat and other excretions. Similarly, your blood, lymph, and intestinal fluids become depleted, and must be replenished with a proper intake of water.
Water improves your moods. Although there are many causes of depression, headaches, irritability, and fatigue, one of the most common is dehydration. When your body becomes low on water, your blood vessels dilate, causing all of these symptoms. Increasing your daily intake of water can counter and reverse them.
Water lowers your risk of heart attack. When your arteries and veins become clogged with plaque, you increase your likelihood of heart disease—one of the most effective ways of preventing this buildup of plaque is to remain properly hydrated. A study in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that drinking more water was positively associated with a decrease in the risk of coronary heart disease. Drinking liquids other than water increased this risk, according to the same study.
Water can keep your joints lubricated, too. The synovial fluid that keeps your joints functioning properly and that keeps your bones from rubbing against each other becomes depleted when you are dehydrated. Drinking more water prevents this.
Water improves your digestion. Your ability to digest your food depends on the proper functioning of a series of enzymes in your intestinal tract. The “delivery mechanism” for these enzymes is water—don’t get enough of it, and your ability to digest and assimilate nutrients in your food breaks down.

Water even prevents fluid retention. This sounds counter-intuitive, but it’s true. Dehydration causes the body to retain water, because it thinks there is a critical lack of it. Drinking more water actually causes your body to stop retaining it.

The Benefits of Life-Long Sports

April 7, 2016 oblanderchiropractic

Not only can playing sports at any age help you maintain your strength, stamina, balance, flexibility and coordination, the benefits are actually cumulative over time. That means the more adults participate in sports throughout their lifetime, the more they will benefit as they reach the age where joint problems and declining energy become a problem. For people to enjoy the most benefit, they should begin to consciously “ramp-up” their physical activity in early adulthood to support the continuation of active leisure time activities throughout later phases of life.

Playing sports into mid-life allows adults to maintain physical capabilities that will help reduce their risk of developing age-related problems that are often tied to inactivity, including heart disease, colon cancer, stroke and diabetes. In addition, sports burn calories and help prevent weight gain as metabolism slows as part of the aging process. Sustaining their physical health through middle age and into their senior years will allow them to continue participating in more of the activities they enjoy and to maintain their independence longer. Not only will staying active help them enjoy better health, it will also improve their longevity.

Sports Participation Increases Energy, Improves the 3Ms

Most of us recognize that exercising actually increases our general energy levels. This is true at any age, including 50 and beyond. But did you know that it also improves the 3Ms—memory, mood and mind? Participating in sports helps adults stay motivated and provides a release from stress. Many also enjoy the chance to compete against other athletes in their age bracket. Benefits are important to both men and women in the over 50 category.

Popular Sports for Older Adults

Obviously, most older adults are not going to jump into sports like tackle football, rugby, lacrosse or ice hockey, but there are a large number of sports that will help them strengthen muscles, build stamina and maintain their balance, flexibility and coordination. Many of these also offer great opportunities for social interaction and will help seniors feel better all the way around.

Increases stamina and strengthens legs. Can also encourage core strength and flexibility.
Enhances breathing, improves bone density, reduces body fat and maintains reaction time.
Not a physically demanding sport, and well-suited for those who are not in the best physical shape. Sharpens hand-eye coordination and offers mental and social benefits.
Increases energy and stamina with minimal risk of muscle and joint injury. Increases flexibility and tones muscles, offers aerobic exercise for improved heart health and may reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
Improves coordination, balance and can improve mobility.

Although the greatest benefits from playing sports occur in those who have continued to engage in sports activity throughout their lives, it is never too late to learn a new sport and enjoy the physical and mental benefits they can provide.

When It Comes to Nutritional Supplements, Quality Counts!

March 31, 2016 oblanderchiropractic

Nutritional supplements are one way that many of us try to improve our health and to support our efforts to lose weight, stop smoking, and more. Although using good quality supplements can be beneficial to your health, it can be difficult to determine which ones really fit the bill. Supplement makers are lightly regulated relative to the pharmaceutical industry, and there have been specific ingredients and some products pulled from the store shelves only after they have proved harmful to a number of people. When the New York Attorney General recently revealed the results of a probe into supplement sales at four top national retailers and found that many products didn’t actually contain the correct ingredients, it came as no surprise to some experts who have worried about poor quality control and manufacturer fraud for years.

A Matter of Omission

While many of us might be more concerned about what’s in a supplement that shouldn’t be, it can also be a big problem if the product doesn’t actually contain the key ingredients listed on the label. If an individual is depending on a particular supplement to remain healthy, the lack of key ingredients could have serious consequences that the user may not be aware of. In a number of cases, key ingredients had apparently been replaced with cheap fillers or other alternatives that not only failed to meet the specific nutritional need but that also had the potential to cause harm to some consumers.

Herbal Ingredients: What You May Not Know

Many supplements use herbs in their products as their main ingredients. Because these herbs are “all natural”, many people mistakenly believe that they cannot harm you or have side effects similar to those of prescription drugs. In reality, herbs can and do interact with each other, with other foods and with medications to produce unexpected results. And this is true even when nutritional supplements are properly labelled. When supplements are manufactured poorly and/or deliberately misrepresented through their labeling, this can make matters even worse.

Need an example? Consider the consumer who believes that she is purchasing an herbal supplement that is wheat-free when. Now suppose that the supplement contains NONE of the herb listed as the primary ingredient but that it DOES contain wheat. If the consumer has a wheat allergy or is on a gluten-free diet, taking these supplements could cause health problems that would be both serious and completely unexpected. In the New York Attorney General’s investigation, some of the products that were found to be improperly labeled were:

Ginkgo Biloba
John’s Wart
Valerian Root
Probiotics
Ginseng
Garlic
Saw Palmetto
Echinacea

Protecting Yourself from Low Quality Supplements

By now it should be clear that choosing a nutritional supplement isn’t only a matter of selecting the right type to get the health benefits you’re looking for. It’s also a matter of purchasing a high-quality product that contains ONLY what it should. However, the current regulatory approach—essentially self-regulation–doesn’t inspire confidence and leaves consumers more vulnerable to shortcuts in manufacturing and quality control as well as deliberate misrepresentation or fraud.

What can be done? Several very well-regarded companies manufacture high-quality nutritional supplements to the same standard as heavily regulated pharmaceutical firms. Many of these companies distribute their products exclusively through the offices of healthcare professionals, including chiropractic physicians and nutritionists. If you’re interested in learning more about nutritional supplements and what you can do to be sure that the ones you take are safe and effective, we encourage you to call or visit our office today!

Rediscovering Exercise After Years of Being Inactive? Take the SMART Approach

March 15, 2016 oblanderchiropractic

Senior cycling group — Group of seniors in a spinning class

Artists who work with glass or metal know that you should not try to bend or shape the material while it remains cold and brittle. Glass will shatter. Metal will break or quickly show signs of fatigue and damage. Our bodies also need to be warmed up to change. They need the tender, loving care of an artist to reshape them. You are that artist. And sculpting your new body takes time, patience and persistence. And yes, it takes hard work.

You can’t expect your body to react well at the beginning if you ask it to do too much after years of inactivity. Using the following SMART approach to exercise will help you get back into an exercise routine and allow you to reach your goals:

Specific—It’s most effective set exercise goals that are well-defined rather than vague. Say you want to be a trim, 165 pounds of muscle and vibrant energy. This approach to defining your goal not only gives you a specific weight to shoot for, but also describes the feeling you want to go with it.

Measurable—This makes your goal even more concrete and will help you see the progress you’re making in an objective way. Not every approach to measurement uses numbers, but numerical criteria are usually the easiest to work with. This goes for measuring activity as well as measuring the results. For example, a 30-minute, brisk walk is measurable. If you’ve only walked 25 minutes, you know you’re not done. Keeping a journal helps you compare these details later.

Action-oriented—You have to put your dreams into action, and exercise is all about physical movement. But don’t let repetitive exercise become boring. Add different kinds of action. In fact, sports medicine doctors recommend varying the activity between stretching, light endurance, vigorous strength and other types of exercise. This helps to prevent heart attacks, sprains and other maladies from pushing too hard, too fast. It also helps to keep things more interesting.

Realistic—Never let anyone tell you that something cannot be done. By the same token, it never makes sense to ignore reality. If you are not realistic in your goals, you are setting yourself up for failure. Set a few attainable short-term goals when you are starting out in a new exercise program so you are more likely to stick with it as time goes on. It will help give you more confidence and you will be more motivated to set your goals a little higher each time.

Time-related—Set deadlines. This helps to keep you challenged so you keep moving forward. Naturally, any deadline needs to be realistic (see above). You should not expect to be running marathons in one month after a couple of decades of desk work, in-car commutes and armchair quarterbacking.

Ever Wonder Who’s Really Responsible for Your Healthcare? You Are!

February 9, 2016 oblanderchiropractic

It’s hardly surprising that people take different approaches to healthcare depending on their situation. After all, being in an auto accident creates a different set of priorities than expecting a first child. And discovering that you have a chronic medical condition is different from recovering from a fall down the stairs. However, the themes of prevention and early intervention are becoming more and more important as society addresses the healthcare costs associated with longer lifespans and so-called “lifestyle diseases”.

Need evidence? At the level of national healthcare policy, the Affordable Care Act places a new emphasis on preventive care by requiring that certain services be covered. Many private insurers and healthcare systems are taking an even more active role in advising their subscribers about what types of tests they should get at various ages and how to manage medications for the best results. Even employers are introducing or expanding workplace wellness programs aimed at preventing common health problems.

With all of these public- and private-sector organizations involved in healthcare with a capital “H”, it’s tempting to view health and wellness as an institutional challenge—a problem for someone else to solve. But this misses a very, very important point. No one has a greater stake in your own health and wellness than YOU do! This means that no one has a stronger interest in prevention and early detection.

Reasons Your Musculoskeletal Health May Need More Attention than You Think

A variety of injuries and health conditions can compromise your musculoskeletal system, resulting in pain and reduced function of bones, muscles and joints. And the regular wear and tear we associate with aging can also reduce our strength, stamina, balance, flexibility and coordination over time. For this reason, many people simply accept the onset of back, neck and joint pain as an inevitable result of getting older. But the truth is that we do have some control over how well our musculoskeletal system ages. By adopting healthy lifestyle habits related to nutrition, exercise, sleep and regular chiropractic care, we can avoid or delay certain types of common health problems.

How Doctors of Chiropractic Help Reduce Back Pain and Restore Mobility

The spine is a complex structure that is made up of bones, joints and the surrounding musculature. Doctors of chiropractic use specialized manipulation and mobilization techniques (often referred to as “adjustments”) to restore proper spinal alignment, thereby reducing pain and restoring mobility.

Taking a Holistic View of Health and Embracing Prevention

Although your immediate motivation in visiting a chiropractor may be to get pain relief without the risks of drugs or surgery, chiropractic treatment can also improve your overall health and longer-term quality of life. Chiropractic physicians are trained to take a holistic view of health and place a very high value on prevention. In part, this is because we recognize that our patients’ day-to-day decisions and behaviors have a cumulative effect on their musculoskeletal health as well as their general well-being. Prevention is something you can do for yourself!

Eat a healthy diet.
Keep moving and live an active lifestyle.
Lose weight if needed.
Maintain proper posture while sitting and standing.
Avoid high-heeled shoes, heavy backpacks and purses.
Lift correctly, using your legs instead of your back. Never lift anything that is heavier than 25% of your body weight and do not twist while lifting.
Get enough sleep.
Don’t use tobacco.
Moderate your use of alcohol.
Be proactive in obtaining chiropractic care for your back and overall health

Taking responsibility for your own health—and healthcare—means learning everything you can about your options and taking action. Call or visit our office today. We can help!

Understanding Inflammation

February 4, 2016 oblanderchiropractic

Your body employs a number of powerful biological responses to keep you alive and healthy. Some of these responses can be triggered without much notice, but others are difficult to ignore. One of these more obvious responses is inflammation. Inflammation has an important role to play in the body’s ability to heal, but in some situations it can become problematic. Read on to understand more about this important function.

What is Inflammation?

When your body undergoes an injury or encounters an infection or irritant, it uses inflammation to aid in the healing process. The body releases chemical substances into the tissue around the injury or infection, which allows blood more access to the problematic area. The skin around the inflamed area often grows red and might feel warm to the touch. Inflammation can also cause pain as the released chemicals stimulate nerve endings and make the area more sensitive. This sensitivity prompts you to give the injured area plenty of rest, helping to improve the body’s ability to heal.

Inflammation Gone Awry

In the short term, inflammation provides a valuable service. However, inflammation can become chronic, meaning that it can last for months or even years. Chronic inflammation can occur if the body’s natural systems fail to address the root cause of the inflammatory response, or if the immune response mistakenly starts to attack healthy tissue. This type of inflammation plays a role in a variety of chronic conditions, such as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and ulcerative colitis. Inflammation can also interfere with your life by causing congestion, fatigue, high blood pressure, allergies, and weight gain.

While everyone experiences inflammation from time to time in response to injury or irritation, some lifestyle factors can make you more prone to unnecessary inflammation. A study conducted by the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia found that sleep deprivation raises the body’s levels of inflammatory markers, substances in the blood that show that inflammation is present. People who are overweight and obese also tend to show higher levels of these markers. However, a study from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington, found that postmenopausal women who were overweight or obese showed a measurable decrease in inflammation markers when they lost 5% of their body weight.

Keeping Inflammation Under Control

If you believe you are suffering from uncontrolled inflammation, check in with your primary care provider to rule out any life-threatening conditions. Then, schedule a time to talk with your chiropractor. A 2010 study by the University of Quebec at Montreal found evidence that chiropractic manipulation can cause inflammation markers to normalize. A chiropractor can also make lifestyle suggestions to help make sure your diet, exercise and sleep levels support a healthy inflammation response.

Inflammation is a very good thing in the right circumstances, but it can cause many problems in the wrong ones. There are solutions, however, so there is no need to keep living with painful chronic inflammation.

Why Age and Aging Are NOT the Same Thing

July 30, 2015 oblanderchiropractic

Almost every human society has a way to mark the passage of time. Similarly, nearly every human society also celebrates the development of its people in one way or another. For some, it’s simply about remembering a specific day on the calendar as a family or community—a birthday. For others, it’s about recognizing special rights of passage that coincide with particular ages. Some do both. However, it is also true to say that we have mixed feelings about getting older. There’s a good reason for this.

Over the years, we gain valuable experiences that build knowledge, wisdom and (if we’re lucky) close personal and professional relationships. But the vast majority of us also lose something in the process—our physical—and sometime mental—health and well-being. Even if we don’t encounter much in the way of illness or injury, most of us simply won’t have the strength, endurance, flexibility, balance and coordination on our 50^th birthday that we did on our 25^th, at the peak of young adulthood. For many people, there is also an eventual cognitive decline—we can’t remember things the way we could when we were younger, it takes us longer to process information and learning new things can seem more difficult. But here’s the good news: your biological age is NOT necessarily the same as your chronological age, and there are specific things you can do to maintain your body’s youthfulness.

Age and aging AREN’T necessarily as closely related as many people believe. Interestingly, a growing body of evidence suggests that everybody grows older at a different pace. Researchers who study biological aging have noticed that some people age much faster than normal while others age much more slowly. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article describing one biological aging study: “Most of the study participants aged one biological year for each chronological year. Some, however, put on as much as three biological years for every one year, while others didn’t increase in biological age at all during the 12-year span the study surveyed. Using a subset of the biomarkers, the researchers calculated that at 38 years old, the participants’ biological ages ranged from 28 to 61.” This is an ENORMOUS difference! What could possible account for it?

While much of the aging process remains a mystery, we are learning more about it all the time. Aging is influenced by our genes, environment, and lifestyle. By the time we reach middle and old age, these factors have had time to make a significant impact on our health. Some of these influences may be positive and others negative.

Genetics

Let’s start with heredity. Genes are powerful predictors of longevity—but there is more to the story than that. Family history definitely influences your health and how long you will likely live, but your day-to-day behaviors can make a difference in the power of genetic predisposition. In other words, you can affect your own longevity and quality of life positively or negatively to some degree based on your own choices about things like diet, exercise, sleep and stress management as well as preventive healthcare. New genetic tests make it possible to know if you are predisposed to some types of diseases so that you can make better decisions earlier in your life.

Environment

The environment can clearly affect our health, particularly the places where we spend the most time living, working and playing. Our exposure to the sun, infectious diseases and toxic chemicals are some obvious physical environmental factors. But there are some less obvious social and psychological ones to consider as well. These include factors like the amount of stress we’re under at work and at home, and the quality of our relationships. As with genetics, environment alone doesn’t guarantee any particular outcomes with respect to our longevity or quality of life. How we interact with our environment and respond to its opportunities and challenges is a very important variable.

Lifestyle Choices

Lifestyle choices such as the food we eat, the drinks and drugs we consume, how much we exercise and how much we sleep can all play a very significant role in our own rate of aging. What researchers and clinicians cannot tell us yet is which of these factors will make the greatest difference in the life of any one individual. That said, we can say a few things with a very high degree of confidence based on our own training and experience.

Nutrition and exercise matter—a lot. And—according to the most up-to-date research—it’s never too late to benefit from eating better and exercising more. Even elderly people can see a meaningful improvement in their health and well-being and a reduction in the incidence of some diseases by starting a healthy diet and exercise program suitable for their age and health status. No matter how old you are, maintaining a healthy weight and a moderate level of fitness will give you a far better chance of enjoying a longer, happier life than someone who leads a sedentary lifestyle.

Some behaviors just aren’t good for you. Smoking, excessive drinking and drug use are all significant predictors of disease and death. If you do any of these things, stopping can have an immediate impact on your likely health and longevity. If you don’t do any of these things, don’t start.

Strong support systems help reinforce healthy habits. It’s true that we all “get along with a little help from our friends.” Surrounding yourself with other people who also lead a healthy lifestyle makes it more likely that you’ll continue on the right path. Family, friends and colleagues who value nutrition, exercise, quality sleep and work-life balance can make a big difference!

Proactive, preventive healthcare is key. While we all do our best at home and at work to avoid illness and injury, it’s also important to work with your doctors to monitor your health and to address any current or potential problems as early as possible.

As you can see, there is no single “magic bullet” to delay or reverse the aging process. However, by being aware of your own family health history, environment and lifestyle options, you can make more thoughtful choices that can add year to your life and life to your years. If you or someone you care about has questions or concerns related to health and wellness, please call or visit our office. We’re here to help!

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