219-269-0926

Map & Directions

Patient Handbook

Optimal Health & Wellness

Patient Handbook

3 Healthy Aging Essentials to Promote Lifelong Wellness

by | Sep 30, 2024 | Clean Living, Fitness, Holistic & Functional Nutrition, Skincare, Weight Loss | 0 comments

3 Healthy Aging Essentials to Promote Lifelong Wellness

3 Healthy Aging Essentials to Promote Lifelong Wellness

Aging is an inevitable part of life if we’re fortunate to live long enough. It’s a continuous process that technically begins after conception, with the first few physical signs of aging often appearing in our 20s or 30s (we’re looking at you, gray hairs and fine lines). These and several other signs of aging are fairly normal as we grow older, like sagging skin and minor changes in our thinking, mobility, and senses. 

Normal changes that occur with aging aren’t usually welcomed, but they’re to be expected as our cells and tissues accumulate damage throughout our lifespan. These damages can be endogenous (e.g. oxidative stress and alkylation) or exogenous (e.g. diet, physical trauma, and exposure to environmental toxins such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals and UV light). Exogenous (externally produced) damages can also impact our endogenous (internally produced) cells, accelerating the aging process.  

Unhealthy aging vs healthy aging 

Though some signs and symptoms of aging are a normal result of DNA damage that has accumulated over the years, there are also many abnormal changes that affect the body with age. For example, the development of one or more chronic health conditions is common with aging but is not a normal part of growing older. 

Aging increases the risk of developing common chronic diseases like dementia, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes, but common and normal are not synonymous. Age is just one risk factor for chronic disease, and some research suggests it may be a modifiable risk factor similar to diet, exercise, sleep, social connection, and stress management. This is what differentiates our chronological age — the number of years we’ve been alive — from our biological age — the age of our tissues and cells.

We can’t change our chronological age, but we may be able to alter our biological age with nutrient-dense dietary patterns, physical activity, and supportive therapies like nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+ therapy). Below, we’ll take a deeper dive into these three essentials for healthy aging. 

1. Nutrient-dense dietary patterns & targeted supplementation 

Just as adequate nutrition is vital for healthy development when we’re young, nutrition is essential in midlife and beyond. The nutrients in our food (including macronutrients like carbs, proteins, and fats and micronutrients like vitamins and minerals) promote healthy aging in several ways:

 

  • Support a healthy weight and metabolism. 
  • Reduce systemic inflammation. 
  • Reduce the risk of chronic disease.
  • Regulate aging processes.
  • Prevent premature deaths. 
  • Support brain health, vascular function, and cognition.

 

Keep in mind, however, that our dietary needs change over time. We typically need fewer calories as we age; something that can be challenging since our nutrient requirements increase with age.

For example, active men between 60 and 69 years of age require anywhere from 2,600 to 2,900 calories daily — compared to about 3,000 calories at ages 20 and 30. Active women between 60 and 69 years of age require anywhere from 2,100 to 2,300 calories a day — compared to about 2,400 calories at ages 20 and 30.

Not all sources of calories are created equal, though, and a balanced diet is key. 

Nutrients that promote healthy aging

Our nutrient requirements also change as we age. Aging increases our need for water; fiber (e.g. fruits, veggies, whole grains, and legumes); complex carbohydrates (e.g. whole grains, fruits, and vegetables); healthy fats (e.g. fatty fish, olive oil, nuts, and seeds); and dietary proteins. Healthy protein sources include animal foods such as fish and poultry and plant foods like beans and legumes. 

As we age, fiber and healthy fats such as omega-3 fatty acids are especially important. Fiber supports gastrointestinal, heart, and metabolic health, while omega-3 fatty acids support cognition, mood, metabolism, and cardiovascular health. Plus, incorporating unsaturated fats into your diet helps balance your fat intake, as eating too many foods high in saturated fats is associated with chronic health conditions like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Since research suggests our dietary patterns in midlife play a role in how well we age, adopting a nutrient-dense diet as early as our 20s, 30s, or 40s is likely to pay off down the road! The earlier in life we adopt nutrient-dense dietary patterns, the better. 

What about micronutrients? 

Along with essential nutrients like water, protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats, many vitamins and minerals are also needed for healthy aging. In fact, certain vitamin and mineral deficiencies are associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases like dementia, depression, and cardiovascular disease in older adults. 

Common micronutrient deficiencies that occur with aging include:

 

  • Vitamins B6, B9, and B12. 
  • Vitamins C, D, and E.
  • Magnesium, potassium, calcium, and zinc. 

 

If you can’t meet your nutrient requirements from food sources alone, supplementation may be needed to support your health, prevent nutritional deficiencies as you age, and reduce your risk of disease. However, since some nutrient toxicities can be just as harmful as their deficiencies, the first step is to assess your nutrient status and determine your need for supplementation. 

Vitamin E, for example, is best acquired from food sources such as nuts and seeds. In supplement form, vitamin E can be harmful when taken in excess. 

Potassium supplements can also have negative health effects when taken in excess. This is why it’s so important to work with a medical provider who can help you determine whether supplementation is right for you. 

OHW offers nutrient deficiency testing

Before supplementing with one or more nutrients, we recommend assessing your micronutrient status with functional medicine lab testing. Micronutrient testing can help identify nutritional deficiencies that may be affecting your health and prevent future deficiencies from developing. Your test results will also assist your medical provider in offering personalized supplement recommendations based on your specific nutrient needs. 

To learn more about assessing your nutritional status with micronutrient testing, please book a functional medicine appointment. 

2. Aerobic activity, strength training, & balance exercises

Eating well is just one part of aging gracefully. To reduce the risk of chronic disease, prevent physical and mental disability, and increase longevity, regular physical activity is also needed. A combined approach that includes aerobic activity, strength training, balance exercises, and stretching is best for keeping your bones and muscles strong, preventing falls and fractures, and supporting your health as you age. 

General recommendations for physical activity include:

 

  • Up to 150 minutes weekly of aerobic exercise, including hiking, swimming, power yoga, dancing, walking, or playing sports.
  • Two days of strength training weekly, such as lifting weights or using a resistance band.
  • Three days of balance exercises such as yoga, Tai Chi, or walking backward.
  • Two days of stretching weekly, focusing on all the major muscle groups.

 

Physical activity enhances immunity as well, reducing the risk of colds, flus, and other illnesses. Too much physical activity can increase the risk of immune dysfunction, however, so it’s best to avoid exercising for more than 60 minutes at a time during cold and flu season. 

3. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD IV therapy)

As we mentioned earlier, our cells and tissues accumulate damage as we age. While some of this damage is normal and to be expected with growing older, many dietary and lifestyle factors can accelerate cellular damage and contribute to abnormal bodily changes. As a result, this speeds up the aging process, increases the risk of chronic disease, and negatively impacts our lifespan and healthspan.

That said, modifying our diet and lifestyle with nutrient-dense eating patterns, targeted supplementation, and regular physical activity — especially resistance training — can all help slow aging by increasing nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) levels in the body. Aging is associated with oxidative damage and depletions in NAD levels, which in turn contributes to cellular damage, inflammation, and age-related decline. 

What is NAD & what are the benefits of NAD+ injections? 

As a cellular coenzyme that naturally occurs in the body, nicotinamide (NAD) plays an essential role in cellular repair, immunity, and longevity. It’s involved in more than 500 enzymatic reactions in the body, impacting everything from our energy levels and immunity to the health of our bones, joints, brain, and heart. For these reasons, low NAD levels accelerate aging and contribute to the development of many chronic age-related diseases.

To restore your NAD levels and slow signs of aging, NAD+ supplementation is a growing area of interest. NAD+ supplementation is well-tolerated, effective, and can be used orally, intravenously, topically, and aesthetically. 

At Optimal Health & Wellness, we offer NAD+ therapy as a safe and effective method to restore nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide levels in the body. Book your NAD+ IV therapy appointment today to boost your energy levels, enhance the quality of your sleep, sharpen your mental clarity, and slow the aging process.

Book your functional medicine consult + NAD IV infusion today 

The good news about growing older is that aging well is possible. With a functional medicine approach to aging that incorporates nutrition, supplementation, physical activity, and supportive treatments like NAD+ IV therapy, you’ll enjoy a longer, healthier, and happier life. An integrative approach to aging doesn’t just lower your risk of chronic disease: it also reduces your biological age and extends your healthspan.

Ready to achieve ageless beauty and vitality? Want to learn more about what you can do to age well and increase your healthspan? Schedule a functional medicine consult with our team, ask us about nutritional testing, or book an NAD+ infusion right here at our Chesterton clinic. 

 

References:

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *