Will We Ever Live Forever?

Many people interested in staving off the effects of aging will mainly be so for vanity reasons. They don’t actually want to be immortal but rather they’re just interested in looking younger for longer and perhaps having a few less aches and pains.

But there are those with greater ambitions. There are those who want to slow their aging so that they can live forever and then enjoy all of the existential changes that would come from that.
This is completely impossible of course. Right?

Well, not if you listen to certain thinkers. In fact, most scientists believe that the first person to live forever has already been born.

The argument goes that someone born today who lives for 120 years will get to benefit from all of today’s modern medicine and lifestyle/health knowledge. In 30 years time, we might have even better medical technology and be able to cure a lot of life-ending diseases. 20 years later and we might be able to extend the average life span with gene doping (perhaps by rejuvenating the telomeres). 30 years later and we may be able to perform a brain transplant…

250 years later and we might be able to upload our consciousness to the computer.
It sounds far-fetched but so too would the internet, were you to explain it to someone alive 100 years ago!

The Top Methods for Extending Lifespan Greatly
To demonstrate just how possible this is, let’s take a look at some of the best options we have for extending lifespans in the near future…

Gene Doping
Insertional gene doping is already being used by doctors and essentially allows you to permanently alter your DNA through a single injection. Among other things, this could someday enable us to strengthen cell walls – extending our lifespans by approximately 30% and making us less susceptible to fire or toxins.

In the distant future, we may be able to emulate the abilities of some species of jellyfish that can actually restore their entire bodies by returning to a polyp state.

Consciousness Uploading
Right now, we don’t know if it is truly possible to upload our consciousness or even if we would want to. One speculated methodology though, involves potentially replacing each brain cell or brain structure with mechanical parts, one piece at a time.

Brain Transplants
Think this sounds like something out of science fiction? Actually, such a procedure is being attempted in the near future. Hitler experimented with head transplants during WW2 as well!

Not ready for a head transplant just yet? Don’t worry! In the meantime, the best you can do is simply to live as healthily as you possibly can…

How to Keep Your Brain Young and Nimble as You Reach Old Age

Watching our bodies fail us as we get older can very often be a painful and depressing. Over time, we can find ourselves becoming less able bodied, slower and older in our appearance as well.
But what is actually much worse than this, is noticing your brain start to fail you. Our brain is what houses who we are. Our brain is what gives rise to all of our subjective experiences… and seeing that start to deteriorate is very frightening indeed.

So the question is: how can you protect your brain into old age? Here are some strategies and suggestions that may be able to help…

Keep Learning
One of the very most important things you can do for your brain is to keep learning and to keep subjecting yourself to novel experiences. Our brains operate on a ‘use it or lose it’ basis, just like every part of our biology. So if you are going through the exact same motions day in, day out, then you will find that your brain loses the ability to learn and adapt to changes the way it once did.

The problem is that so many of us do stop subjecting ourselves to new experiences as we age. Partly this is due to simple societal pressures: when we age, we tend to become less active and less social and this means we lose our opportunities for learning.

The key is to keep trying new things. Many blogs will tell you that playing chess is a good way to keep your brain healthy but in fact this isn’t necessarily the best option: playing chess is just one activity and involves relatively little learning.

Instead, try computer games. Why? Because each time you try a new computer game, you are forced to take up new skills and new abilities. Each time you learn a new game, you need new controls, which will incorporate new neural pathways. Each new game has an entirely new set of skills and that means you are continually learning.

Keep Socializing
One of the very best things for our brains is to keep socializing. This is highly important, as social stimulation stimulates positive hormones and keeps our brain active and challenged. As we get older, often we start to keep ourselves locked away and stop going out so much. This means less social stimulation, which means rapid deterioration. Again, this is something to avoid.

Top Ways to Instantly Look Younger

Unless they are still in their early twenties, everyone wants to look younger. There are very few who think that grey hair, wrinkles or age spots make them look more attractive and the unfortunate thing is that once these things start to appear, they can be extraordinarily difficult to reverse.

Many of these things can be reversed; it’s just that it takes a long time. And you would have been much better off trying to prevent them from arising in the first place, rather than trying to turn back the clock.
What if you don’t have the time to begin an entirely new skin regime? What if it’s too late for amino acids and antioxidants?

Let’s take a look at some of the things you can do instead to look younger instantly.

Change Your Hair
One of the easiest ways to quickly look younger is to change your hairstyle. The result of this will depend very much on your face shape and your preferences – but often choosing a shorter haircut will be the best way to look instantly younger for both men and women. This can also be slimming, as it shows off your neck – one of the thinnest parts of your body.

Exfoliate
Exfoliating is definitely one of the very best ways to make yourself look younger. This will remove any dead skin cells or dirt from the top layer of the skin on your face. That in turn will make the level of your skin more even, thereby making your wrinkles much more shallow.

Another benefit of exfoliating is that it reveals the much healthier and more youthful skin underneath. This has a much more natural glow, which can make you appear healthier and younger at the same time!

Whiten Your Teeth
Another very easy way to instantly look that bit younger is to whiten your teeth. Our teeth are one of the biggest give-aways when it comes to our true age and if you keep these looking fresh, strong and white then you will look younger and healthier by default.

Dress Correctly
Many people think that the best way to look younger is to wear younger clothes. In fact though, the opposite is normally true. That’s because very young looking clothes risk making you look older by comparison. Dressing your age is surprisingly one of the best ways to appear younger in many cases!

Click Here If You Want To Learn More About Perfect Skin Care

How to Prevent Your Body From Deteriorating As You Age (And Why it Does)

What does an old person look like?
Hunched over? Slow? Doddering? Shaky?
And how likely are you to see an older person in their 70s+ go running or performing gymnastics? Not very?

Our assumptions about the elderly are generally fuelled by stereotypes and perhaps the people we know in our own lives. But just because a lot of people lose their ability to move well as they age, that doesn’t mean you have to.

Just take a look at Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. These guys are approaching their 70s and they’re still more muscular than most of us every will be in our whole lives! There are old Grandmas in their 80s who can perform top-level gymnastics and at any marathon you will see a lot of elderly contenders.

The reality is that your body does not have a ‘best before’ date on it. Actually, your body should be more than capable of lasting your entire life. The problem is the way we use it.

How Your Body Deteriorates
Think about what most of us do between the hours of 9-5, 5 days a week. We sit in an office, hunched over and working. No doubt most of us will pick up some kind of injury and this then teaches us that we need to slow down and stop being active (which is encouraged by most people we know).

We spend our retirement also sitting down and during all this time, our bodies start to lose their flexibility, their muscle tone and their dynamism. This is when imbalances arrive and it’s when we start to experience chronic pain.

Sometimes this is exacerbated by illness or inflammation but very often it is simply the result of a lack of use, improper movement and muscular imbalances.

How to Fix It
So how do you fix it?
Simple: you start to move again.

And you stop treating yourself like you’re made from glass! You need to push your body for it to adapt and become stronger and that is how you avoid aging.

That doesn’t mean you should launch straight into an intense CrossFit regime though. Instead, you need to make sure that you introduce yourself to exercise gently with walking or swimming and then build on that. Work with a trainer and find someone who understands functional movement. In no time, you’ll be moving better than you ever did in your youth!

How to Keep Your Testosterone Levels Higher As You Age

Testosterone is the male sex hormone and is responsible for many of the traits that we consider to be typically masculine. That includes muscle mass, low body fat, a big jaw, thick brow, aggression, confidence, body hair and a deep voice.

Testosterone also makes us feel great. The top athletes produce lots of testosterone because it makes them stronger, more energetic and better at recovering. It also makes us happier (low testosterone is associated with depression), more virile, better in bed and generally more alpha.
But a huge proportion of men in the Western world have chronically low testosterone. And this only gets worse and worse, the older we get.

The question is: how can you slow down the effects of old age by keeping testosterone where it should be?

Why is Testosterone Low?
This is not just a problem for elderly pensioners. Rather, it is just as much an issue for guys in their 40s and 50s and it’s a MUCH bigger problem now than it was even 30 years ago.

Why? Several reasons:
* We spend less time outdoors
* We spend more time on the computer
* Our water and many of our products contain estrogenic compounds
* We are often encouraged to pursue less classically ‘manly’ activities
* We are less active
* We are malnourished

This then right away highlights some of the things we can do to get our T levels back to normal. Spend more time outside, exercise more (using compound movements), drink water from a filter and avoid shampoos filled with chemicals and make sure you eat well.

Some Powerful Tips
There are also a few powerful tips you can employ to give yourself an instant testosterone boost.
For example, eating more saturated fats will make a big difference. That’s because these contain cholesterol and cholesterol is what the body actually uses to make testosterone. Eat this just before bed because you produce maximum testosterone at 4am in the morning.

Another tip is to get more sleep then! Deeper sleep leads to more T, so make sure you do everything you can to prioritise good sleep.

Also: get more vitamin D. Vitamin D is the reason that time outdoors is related to testosterone – it acts like a master controller for your hormones and we produce more when we get exposure to sunlight. If you can’t be outside more, then take a supplement to get your fill!

Top Things You Can Do When You’re Younger to Feel Better When You’re Older

If you’re very young right now, then you may think that anti-aging articles and tips don’t apply to you. Those are for older people right?
Wrong!

In reality, those articles apply to you more than anyone else! After all, it’s too late to prevent aging once you are already feeling and looking a lot older! And when you get to that point where the crow’s feet and age spots are showing, you’ll only wish that you had taken the opportunity to protect yourself against aging when you were younger.
So what can you do right now, to make sure that you keep your good looks and good health well into older age?

Lifestyle
In terms of lifestyle, there are a ton of things you need to do to stay younger and healthier in the way you look and feel.
For starters, try to avoid too much direct sunlight. UV rays damage the skin cells and while you might think nothing of this; it makes a huge cumulative difference that is very apparent when you’re older!
Likewise, you absolutely have to make sure you are getting plenty of high quality sleep. This will help you improve your health in all manner of ways, as sleep is when the body restores cells, forms new neural connections and produces lots of growth hormone and testosterone.

Skin Care
The right skin care regimen can make a massive difference. Any good skin care routine should incorporate an exfoliator, some kind of protection and some kind of moisturizer. And don’t forget the hands! Often the hands are the biggest giveaway of your true age when you’re older!

Nutrition
Nutrition is massive important when it comes to the way you age. Many of the illnesses we associate with old age are in fact just the result of long-term nutrient deficiencies. If you ensure that you keep getting enough of your micronutrients, your body will be supplied with all the raw materials it needs to keep you looking and feeling as young as possible.
Movement

Finally: exercise!
And don’t just exercise: move more. Sitting takes years off of your life because it allows your heart to become weaker. What’s more, is that it also weakens your muscles, ruins your flexibility and damages your posture. It’s very important that you keep moving as you get older to avoid a hunched over appearance.

The Benefits of Getting Older

When we think of getting older, we tend to think of it only in terms of the negative. Getting older means slowing down, collecting new aches and pains, losing our memory and eventually losing our sex drive and continence… Not good!

But while this might be the case for some, it’s not the whole story.
Actually, getting older comes with a lot of benefits and remembering these can be a good way to avoid letting the thought of aging get you down too much. Here are just some of them…

You Become More Chiselled
This goes for women and men alike. Women will often lose the thin layer of subcutaneous bodyfat that exists under the skin, bringing out more defined cheekbones and giving them a much more chiselled appearance. Men become generally more gristly as their jaw and foreheads continue to grow and eventually end up looking like they’re cut out of granite!

What’s more, is that our skin tends to get thinner as we age. This isn’t good news for women but it’s very good for men who want to look more ripped, vascular and muscular! Getting a body like Sylvester Stallone or Hugh Jackman is only possible as you start to reach older age.

You Become Wiser
There are broadly speaking two types of intelligence. These are ‘crystalized’ intelligence and ‘fluid’ intelligence. Crystalized intelligence is really knowledge, while fluid intelligence is more like reasoning. While our reasoning skills often deteriorate as we age, our crystalized intelligence actually improves as we gain more knowledge over time.
As long as you protect your memory, this will only continue to improve the older you get – eventually making you some kind of walking oracle!

You Gain Respect
A big plus about being older is that you gain respect. This means people hold doors open for you, let you have their seat on the train and listen to what you have to say politely.
You Have More Time

If you’re like most people, then eventually you are going to retire. When that happens, you will free up a lot of time.

For many of us, retirement seems like a looming ‘end point’. In reality though, this can actually be a starting point. It’s never too late to be what you always wanted to be and with the money, experience and resources that come from retirement now is the perfect time to start!

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Salt and Health

How much salt we should or shouldn’t eat is a continuing cause of debate and confusion. What we commonly refer to as salt is a crystal compound comprised mainly of sodium chloride. In its natural rock form, it can also contain many other beneficial mineral elements, usually in minute quantities. Our bodies contain and use the elements contained in salt for many of its critical processes.

Sodium is a major component of salt and is necessary for maintaining the right balance of fluids and electrolytes in our bodies. Sodium is also important because it is needed for the transmission of nerve impulses. Additionally, it plays a key role in influencing the relaxation and contraction of the different muscle groups in our body.

The fact that our tongues have specific taste receptors to discern salt is a fair indication that we evolved with a need for it. When salt was only obtainable from within the foods humans ate and not as an optional extra, those taste buds were a survival mechanism.

Unfortunately, our taste buds are not very good at telling us we have had too much. A big question of course is whether we get enough salt from foods without adding any during cooking or at the table. An even bigger question is whether or not this added salt is harmful or beneficial to our health. This is made more difficult when we look at nutrition labels and realize just how much salt is added to processed foods before it even gets to our table.

Most people in western societies consume more sodium than they require on a daily basis. However, even though there are warnings about excess consumption, it can be hard to resist. Firstly, it is deeply ingrained in many cultures to use salt in cooking and to offer it at the table. Secondly, it undoubtedly makes many foods taste even better.

Too Much Salt Can Be Dangerous

An excessive sodium intake can increase a person’s risk of many serious diseases. The major areas of concern relate to increased blood pressure leading to greater risk of both heart attack and stroke.

How Much Sodium Do We Really Need?

The American Heart Association suggests that an adult should limit their salt intake so they are not consuming more than 2,000mg per day. For those people over 51 years of age, their sodium intake should be no more than 1, 500mg a day.
One teaspoon of table salt contains about 2,300mg of sodium. You may be thinking, well I don’t consume a tablespoon of salt a day! Actually, you probably consume more. Most westerners average about two teaspoons per day.

This will largely be due to the sodium content found in many packaged foods. Salt is added to so many foods today which is why you have to read nutrition labels to be aware of your total sodium intake.

It is also important to note that these are the maximum recommended limits, so consuming less is preferable and advised, especially if you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease or diabetes.

Making Changes

Like so many of our dietary preferences, the desire for salty foods is a developed or habitual taste. Giving up or reducing table and cooking salt is achievable and a healthy choice. Those who have done so claim their food tastes bland at first, but after a period they actually start to taste the food itself rather than the masking salt taste. The excess salt is a taste addiction rather than a body need.

If you have any doubts and especially if you suffer from low blood pressure, it is wise to consult your health care provider or your dietitian regarding your specific sodium intake limits or requirements.

Nightshade Vegetables

Common nightshade vegetables that you may be familiar with are tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, paprika and eggplants. Plenty of diets recommend these foods as healthy and beneficial inclusions. For a great many people, some or all of these foods are dietary staples and eaten in large amounts.

However, there are also others who claim these food types are not good for human health. Some health care professionals prohibit their patients from eating nightshades, especially those that are diagnosed with GERD, arthritis and gout.

Nightshades and Arthritis

The biggest claim against nightshade plants is that they cause inflammation which manifests usually as painful arthritis and joint pain. Nightshades are also claimed to contribute to the effects of muscle tremors and stomach discomfort.

There is even a foundation called the ‘Arthritis Nightshades Research Foundation’ which has been around for a long time. This foundation claims to study the effects of nightshade consumption on humans and has many publications available detailing their research. The foundation came into being when the founder, who suffered badly from arthritis, achieved relief by removing nightshades from his diet.

Many others have had similar experiences and there is plenty of anecdotal evidence to support it. However, there are many, many more people who eat plenty of nightshade vegetable without any arthritic effects. There are also other Arthritis Societies who claim there is no scientific evidence that nightshades cause arthritis.

Reasons for Nightshade Reactions

Obviously, a percentage of the population appears to have an adverse reaction to these plants, or actually the compounds they contain. These plants do contain compounds called alkaloids in higher amounts than other plants and these are claimed to cause the attributed problems. One of these is alkaloids is solanin e, which is particularly high in potatoes.

While there are extreme advocates and decriers, it seems that this is yet another area of diet that shows what works for one may not work for another. It is quite likely that in some people the effects of eating nightshade plants are either mitigated or compounded by the effects of other dietary components, which would help explain why only some people experience negative reactions after eating nightshade foods.

Nutritional deficiency may play a role. For instance, those who have low levels of magnesium were found to be more sensitive to the effects of nightshades. If they are also deficient in vitamin D their symptoms could be even worse. If these nutrients and not being supplied by other foods, the alkaloids present could have greater effect. This may also help explain why some have tried to link nightshade consumption to osteoarthritis, as a lack of magnesium and vitamin D will certainly contribute to osteoarthritis effects and symptoms.

Our excretory organs – liver and kidneys – must work that much harder to detoxify the compounds found in nightshades. Those whose organ function is sluggish, for whatever reason, may also suffer more.

Although there may be no hard and fast rules about eliminating nightshades from the diet, it can’t be denied that many people have experienced a reduction in their pain or a complete recovery from chronic inflammation once they avoided nightshades. This is certainly a common claim among those who have been afflicted with arthritis.

Setting Your Own Control Scenario

If you would like to confirm if you are sensitive to these kinds of foods, a common-sense approach would be to avoid eating nightshades for fifteen days or if possible one month, to see if you can notice any relief from your symptoms.
You may not be aware you have a sensitivity at all unless you set up your own control situation and therefore make before and after comparisons. Those who have reported relief by abstaining usually experienced relief with two weeks. They also reported that if eating nightshades is resumed, symptoms return quickly, within days. This means you should be able to test your own susceptibility fairly simply.

If it seems you may be affected but don’t like the idea of totally removing potatoes and tomatoes from your diet, try reducing them, as the total amount eaten would certainly be a factor. It may help to know that baking, steaming, and boiling nightshade foods can help reduce their alkaloid levels up to as much as 50%.

Eating Whole Grains and Reducing Cancer Risks

An increased consumption of whole grains has been found by some studies to greatly reduce one’s risk for developing cancer. Many people do eat whole grains and those who follow the macrobiotic diet, eat a diet that consists of 50-60% of whole grains. Some of these grains include buckwheat, brown rice, quinoa, lentils, corn and rye.

Whole Grains as Good Sources of Fiber

Several studies showed that an increased consumption of whole grains can help reduce the risk for developing colorectal cancer.

This is made possible due to the high fiber content adding bulk to the digestive system, which speed up the digestive process and reduces the length of time that it takes for food wastes to travel into the colon.

This shortened-travel time is beneficial especially if the food waste contains carcinogens as they need to be removed from the body as quickly as possible. As a result, the risk of the lower intestines being affected by these carcinogens will be greatly reduced.

In addition, as fiber is broken down in the lower intestine with the help of bacteria, a substance called butyrate is also produced. Butyrate is known to be helpful for inhibiting the growth of certain types of cancer such as rectum and colon cancer.

Fiber Binds to Estrogen

The dietary fiber found in whole grains also plays a key role in the prevention of breast cancer. This is because fiber has the capability of binding to estrogen.

Having excess levels of estrogen in the body is known to increase the risk of breast cancer. Regular consumption of whole grains helps the liver to filter out estrogen from the bloodstream. Fiber helps expedite the process of removing excess estrogens and prevents them from causing the body harm, thereby helping reduce the risk of developing breast cancer.

Whole Grains Contain Selenium

Several studies have shown that a selenium deficiency can increase the likelihood of several types of cancers developing. The amount of selenium obtained from the grains varies depending on the selenium content of the soil where the grains are grown. An adequate intake of selenium obtained from dietary sources was found to significantly reduce the risk of colorectal and prostate cancers. These types of cancers are two of the most common types of cancer.

A clinical trial showed that a 200mg dose of selenium daily can reduce cancer by as much as 37%. Test tube studies showed that selenium inhibits the growth of tumors and helps ensure that cells die before they become malignant. Selenium is also found to work in synergy with vitamin E in preventing the formation of carcinogens. Another reason why selenium reduces the risk of cancer is because it has the ability to activate a specific enzyme which is responsible for preventing the formation of free radicals.

Grain and Your Insulin Levels

Other studies have shown that the increased consumption of whole grains can help reduce an individual’s insulin levels. Having excess levels of serum insulin can increase the risk for breast, colon and other cancers.

The list of cancer reducing benefits that you can obtain by eating whole grains is quite substantial, especially when whole grains replace highly refined grains in the diet. Individuals need to test their own reactions to a high grain diet, even when whole grain is use, as some people’s systems cannot tolerate high grain consumption.