hi

How to Look & Feel GOOD (part 1 of 2)

How to Look & Feel GOOD???

Wow, this is a million dollar question. I bet you’re asking yourself this question every morning when you get out of bed and every time you see yourself in the mirror, especially as time goes by and gravity starts pulling your skin and muscles (bones too) down.

So I did a bit of digging into eating and lifestyle not only for beauty, but for anti-aging and longevity and this is what I concluded.

But first let me tell you what I mean by anti-aging and longevity. My understanding of it.

1. you can’t possibly avoid aging and physical degeneration. If you know how to do that, please call me right a way!
2. you can slow down the aging process, and you can age gracefully
3. you can live longer and maintain optimal mind-body function as you age. What I mean by that is you’re still able to do all the things you’ve always done like: run/jog, bike, lift weight, do yoga, dance, etc. and be sharp, maintain cognitive function “till the day you die”. Be able to live independently and do stuff all the way to the end, that being at 70 or 80, or 120. That’s also known as “compression of morbidity”.

I’d love to know what your thoughts are about this. Please let me know in the comments section down below.

You and I know that food and lifestyle are determining factors when it comes to our health, how we age, how we feel and look. So I’d like to talk about a few of the foods and lifestyle strategies that we know support longevity and anti-aging. I have them in two categories:

#1. Longevity and Cognition
#2. Beauty, Health and Function

Lifestyle Strategies that Support Longevity/Anti-Aging and Cognitive Function

Intermittent Fasting and Calorie Restriction

-promote longevity, support cognitive function and increase energy by improving mitochondrial function. HOW???

1. Fasting turns on genes that help cells survive by reducing inflammation
2. Calorie Restriction (CR) may improve nerve function and support memory and cognition
3. CR below your Basic Metabolic Rate (BMR) allows the brain to make new neurons, enhances the ability to generate ATP for energy, and increases the number of mitochondria

Lower Carbohydrate, with Low Glycemic Impact, Grain Free and Mild Ketogenic Diet

1. lower and consistent levels of blood sugar and insulin are crucial for energy production at the mitochondrial level and for optimal nerve function. “Type 3 Diabetes” is the new term used to describe insulin resistance in the brain.

2. a macro-nutrient shift to a lower carbohydrate, higher fat and targeted protein (protein needs estimated based on your lean body mass and activity level)-activates the fat burning metabolism-when the body becomes well adapted to using ketone bodies as fuel (instead of sugar).

3. ketones (acetoacetate, ß-hydroxybutyric acid and acetone) are produced in the liver (via Beta Oxidation) when fat is burned instead of glucose and provide more sustained energy throughout the day

4. ketones – are efficiently used as fuel by all cells containing mitochondrias and the good news about ketons as energy source is that cancerous cells can’t use ketones for energy (-there is a good body of research showing the benefits of a ketogenic diet in brain tumors.) See Cancer as a Metabolic Disease, by Professor Thomas Seyfried

5. the keto diet mimics the fasting state, and has neuroprotective benefits

6. gluten, protein found in wheat, barley and rye causes inflammation which affects primarily the integrity of the gut lining and the brain/nervous system

7. grains and starches are difficult to digest and support the overgrowth of pathogenic microorganisms in the gut. They are high glycemic, hence for optimal mito and brain function, gut health and to promote fat burning (via mild ketosis), it’s best to avoid grains and starches all together or minimize intake of them.

HIIT-High Intensity Interval Training (by far my favorite way to exercise: the most challenging and effective physical training).

Let’s see why…

Research presented in October in 2012 at the Integrative Biology of Exercise VI in Colorado, showed that HIIT (high intensity interval training):

* burns more calories in less time,
* increases insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance.

Exercise physiologist, Phil Campbell author of the book Ready, Set, Go! Synergy Fitness for Time-Crunched Adults, found another benefit of HIIT. Its ability to stimulate your body to increase the production of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) also known as “the fitness hormone”. He called this training “Sprint 8”.

What happens if you increase HGH? It helps you more effectively burn fat and increase muscle growth and strength.
It increases calcium retention and mineralization of the bone, which is important when it comes to osteoporosis. It impacts your overall health and longevity.

Here’s how HIIT-Sprint 8 it is done:

* 3 minute fast paced warm up,
* followed by 30 second sprint,
* followed by 90 second recovery period, which should equal the intensity of the warm up
* each cycle totals 2 minutes.

The program is called “Sprint 8” because you work up to doing 8 of these cycles.
Each HIIT session lasts 20 minutes.

Sprint 8 can be done with cycling, swimming, skiing, running, cross-country skiing, elliptical equipment, power walking, even weight training. Any type of exercise that involves large muscles like the legs and has a 30 second “all out” sprint component qualifies.

Another form of HIIT is Tabata:-20 seconds sprint with 10 seconds recovery, 8 sets.

To recap, today I talked about 3 lifestyle strategies that support graceful, functional aging and longevity:

#1. Intermittent Fasting and Calorie Restriction
#2. Lower carbohydrate, with Low Glycemic Impact, Grain free and Mild Ketogenic Diet
#3. HIIT-High Intensity Interval Training

Pick your weapon, GO DO IT! Give it a try and let me know what it does for you.

If you’d like support with any of the above don’t hesitate to check out my free and payed programs (they are all geared towards achieving optimal health and physical performance as we gratefully age). If coaching is what you need, you can check out the coaching packages I offer here.

I also host a Private Facebook Group, that’s FREE and AWESOME. Come join the community of #healersWFMM and become a DOer not a DOUBTer.

private fb group yello

the you reset pro ready for coaching FREE PROGRAMS

Comments are closed.

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR HEALTH & LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE EVER

We all know that diets don't work; deprivation and denial are both unnecessary and counterproductive. When it comes to food and your health ignorance is not bliss. I'm Mihaela and I will help you find what is holding you back from living your best health and life, simplify your eating and fitness routine to fit your busy schedule, learn to listen to your body, deconstruct cravings so you can make food choices that truly nourish you. I will help you break complex information into bite size pieces, easy to implement so you can take action now. Take charge of your health and live your best life ever.