After a tiring week at work, a weekend lie in and a slap up brunch seem like a no-brainer—but could a few extra hours and a healthy breakfast do more than simply restore your energy levels?
Mounting research suggests that sleeping in on our days off, eating a diet rich in healthy fats and protein, and making time for regular exercise can seriously reduce the risk of developing a number of conditions, from dementia to obesity.
Now a leading longevity expert has gone one step further, telling MailOnline that living by these simple pillars could help turn back the biological clock—and even help you reach a very grand old age.
Dr Naheed Ali, a Harvard-trained lifestyle expert, believes that living to 100 isn’t just down to luck and genetics, and there are easy ways to give ourselves a helping hand to reach our centenaries.
‘From a medical standpoint, we encounter three distinct spurts of ageing,’ he said.
‘Infancy, the teen years and after 60—and each phase carries its own metabolic demands.’
As adults, there isn’t a lot we can do to influence the first two stages, but we do have the luxury of taking preventative steps to prepare for the final one, and Dr Ali says that it is possible to reverse our biological ages in just six months.
The final spurt when we are officially entering old age, comes with an acceleration in muscle wastage, brain shrinkage and skin decline—all things that make us appear older.
Evidence now suggests that rather than a long, steady decline we dramatically age in three distinct spurts in our lives. But experts say it possible to turn back the clock
With this in mind, longevity experts suggest it might be time for us to stop seeing ageing as a steady decline marked by an increasing number of candles on a birthday cake, but rather a series of instalments that can potentially be waylaid.
Support for this theory can be found in research published by the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge.
Their scientists found that up until the age of around 70, most people are able to make new blood cells, which are vital for supplying the body with oxygen.
But after 70, our blood cell count drops significantly, raising the risk of anaemia, immune disorders and cancer.
This is because red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen around the body.
Fewer blood cells means there’s less oxygen and nutrients being delivered to our internal organs and skin and this causes poor tissue regeneration—triggering visible signs of ageing, like loose, papery, sallow skin and deep facial wrinkles.
This age is regarded as a tipping point because it is when our body finally succumbs to the damage which has been accumulating at a cellular level for decades, which is why it’s crucial to prioritise our health and reduce this inevitable damage right now.
According to Dr Ali, it is possible to reverse biological aging by focusing on neural health—and he says ‘it’s never too late to start’.
‘Protecting the brain starts with blood supply, so I emphasise a Mediterranean-style eating pattern rich in olive oil, legumes and brightly coloured vegetables’, he explained.
Dr Ali said: ‘Protecting the brain starts with blood supply, so I emphasise a Mediterranean-style eating pattern rich in olive oil, legumes and brightly coloured vegetables’
Dr Ali shared this as one of three key tips to help increase your chances of living for a century.
He said: ‘These foods deliver polyphenols that keep blood pressure in check and maintain the delicate vessels feeding cortical tissue [the outer protective layer of our internal organs].’
Polyphenols are a nutrient found in plant foods like fruits, vegetables, dark chocolate and spices which help reduce inflammation and have been found to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
His second tip was to incorporate movement and exercise throughout the day.
This could be as simple as switching to a standing desk, or taking the stairs rather than the lift to boost activity levels.
It has long been thought that those who get up and move more tend to live longer than those who lead a more sedentary lifestyle.
‘This is because movement helps the body respond better to insulin, reducing glucose spikes that can damage cells and tissue in the body,’ he said.
Frequent or prolonged spikes in our blood sugar levels can lead to the formation of harmful molecules which form when excess sugar binds to protein or fats in the body.
Dr Ali said one of the best ways to reverse the clock is to ensure you’re getting enough shut eye between seven and nine hours of good quality sleep a night
These compounds are known to damage cells in the body, especially in sensitive areas like the brain, contributing to ageing and increasing the risk of degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia diagnosed in the UK.
Dr Ali added that people should aim for a ‘brisk thirty-minute walk five days a week’, to ward off the cognitive decline associated with dementia.
Experts have previously found that people aged between 45 and 65 who increased their activity levels to around two and a half hours a week were less prone to one toxic protein—amyloid—spreading in the brain.
Significant clumps of this protein can form plaques in the brain which are thought to be behind the symptoms of Alzheimer’s.
The longevity expert added that exercise also helps preserve volume in the part of the brain linked to thinking and memory.
‘Good sleep completes the triad,’ Dr Ali added.
‘Seven to nine hours in a cool, dark room with minimal caffeine after midday allows the body to do its nightly cleansing job.’
‘Patients who improve their sleep often notice crisper attention within a fortnight’, he added.
Studies show that consistently failing to get enough shut eye can increase the risk of obesity, heart disease and even dementia.
Some studies have suggested that even just one night of restless sleep can increase inflammation in the body, contributing to the effects of ageing.
However, too much sleep can also be bad for you.
Researchers now say that consistently sleeping for longer than nine hours a night can fuel brain ageing that leads to memory problems in later life.
Concluding, Dr Ali said: ‘When someone combines activity, nutrient dense meals, and restorative sleep we often see epigenetic movement markers move in a younger direction within six months.
‘This evidence of biological reverse is a powerful motivator and reminds patients that it is never too late to start caring for their nervous system.’
At the age of 115, Ethel Caterham, from Surrey, is the oldest living person in the UK
More and more Britons are living to 100, and beyond.
At the age of 115, Ethel Caterham, from Surrey, is the oldest living person in the UK.
Dr Daniel Glazer, a clinical psychologist, agrees, stating: ‘In late adulthood, those with a clear sense of purpose often report sharper memory and greater satisfaction than age-matched peers.
One of his top tips is finding time to meditate every day.
‘Brief daily sessions of paced breathing or mindfulness meditation drop stress levels that erode tissue in the brain,’ he said.
‘Emotional regulation keeps the biochemical environment hospitable.’
Lower cortisol levels—the stress hormone—also helps to reduce inflammation, protecting blood vessels around the body.
‘The practice is simple yet biologically potent, giving clients something tangible they can control,’ the psychologist added.
Physical activity, a diverse diet packed with wholegrains, fruits and vegetables, love, companionship, and a sense of purpose make up the backbone of so-called ‘Blue Zones,’ or areas of the world where people typically live to 100 and beyond.
