Live Forever

The concept that we should take responsibility for our health might seem obvious and simple, even logical, but how many of us truly do?  Metabolic health is the pursuit of quality of life through taking care of our health. The first step into self-love. To live a fulfilling, meaningful life with longevity, we need to be in better health.  However, modern medicine relies on us to develop diseases and ailments that need treatment.  Treatment is cured by drugs. Let’s not go there on the concerning profits made by the pharmaceutical companies benefiting from this position. More often than not, I hear cases where additional drugs are taken to combat the side effects of the initial prescription. When you turn that situation on its head and realise that if we all adopted our responsibility for our health, perhaps the reliance on these pharmaceuticals will decrease.

There is a crucial connection between our overall health and our prolonged life. Grounding in our approach to our quality of life comes from physical, emotional, mental, relational and spiritual well-being.   Understanding these critical main points of metabolic health is the first step in taking responsibility for our body’s health. It is the symphony of internal processes working together harmoniously.

Metabolic Health

The main elements that play vital roles in metabolic health are exercise with nutrition, sleep, mental health and your environment, completing the well-conducted orchestra. When this orchestra performs well, you feel fantastic. As Dr Peter Attia suggests, critical for keeping the four Norsemen such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and other health issues at bay.

If you adopt one new habit in life, it should be the power of exercise. Exercise really is your best friend on this journey. Known to delay the onset of chronic diseases, it plays an important role in physical and mental decline. Quite simply, almost any exercise is better than none. Aerobic exercises such as taking a brisk walk, dancing at a party or swimming can help burn calories and strengthen your heart. Using your body weight to lift or counter against resistance is considered just as important as aerobic exercise, especially at our age, in maintaining muscle mass and bone density.  Building stability is the core of making our bodies resilient as we age. Practising yoga and balance work helps improve our core.  Occasional injuries are an occupational hazard if you lead an active life, but whether they are debilitating can be a matter of how fit and strong you are.

Navigating past countless claims about the best diets, eating healthily isn’t about deprivation; it’s about creating a masterpiece of balanced nutrition. When you approach midlife, eating a variety of whole foods, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, calcium, and protein are recommended as key ingredients essential for the maintenance of good muscle, bone and joint health.  Fibre-packed fruits, veggies, and whole grains keep your digestive system humming, and lean protein sources support muscle preservation.

As an advocate for many years of “we are what we eat” it is hard to unlearn this definitive thought. The next time you reach for a snack from the larder, are you aware of how it will impact your health? A conscious awareness of the amount of processed and ultra-processed foods in our diets is just common sense. But remember, the occasional indulgence is just as crucial for your happiness as that kale salad. A scoop of ice cream and a slice of laughter never hurt anyone!

Sleep is essential to maintain, support and recharge your body’s metabolic process. It would be wonderful to programme the correct amount of sleep when required and fall asleep to order. Whilst that is not always possible, the big pharma companies continue to sell all manner of sleep-inducing medications, many of which don’t work.  Often, waking feeling groggy and over-tired can be the result of the drug trading high-quality sleep for a sleep-like state of unconsciousness that doesn’t help heal like the effects of REM or deep sleep.

If you struggle with your sleep hygiene, it could be impacting other areas of your metabolic health.  When you are tired, you are more likely to crave high sugar content foods and want to exercise less regularly. All of this plays havoc with your metabolism, putting pressure on your cardiovascular system, upsetting your mental stability and generally feeling of despair. If you are experiencing menopausal symptoms, sleep disruption may tend to have a disturbing effect on your sleep patterns. Trying to find ways to help you drift to sleep naturally is best.  Limiting the blue light from devices a couple of hours before sleep, refraining from caffeine and alcohol and keeping your bedroom cool are some of the methods to help induce sleep.

If all else fails, the charm of a good book and a warm cup of herbal tea can work wonders.

Ignoring emotional health can be a costly price. Invariably we don’t have the emotional awareness to even understand how we’re feeling.  Having focused on the physical aspects of our health exploring our emotional and mental sides in some ways is more important than everything else.  The process is ongoing, requiring work on a regular basis.

My watch pings a message at 1.30 pm every day asking how I’m feeling. How the hell would I know? I shut it down and carry on with my day.  But what if we just did stop and reflect? Stress being a silent metabolic saboteur. Managing the expectations of others is often the answer to controlling how we look after our health. People pleasing can have adverse effects on our mental health from a lack of self-love. Women are naturally prone to being selfless and committing to unrealistic obligations. This can happen not just in the home, but invariably in the workplace and social situations. It’s worth keeping a check on what we realistically can achieve over what we idealistically see ourselves accomplishing. Sadly, the last time I checked, I wasn’t Linda Carter in Wonder Woman.

Menopause has most likely brought a rollercoaster of emotions to us ladies in one way or another.  Anxiety can show up unexpectedly in ways that everything that used to make sense appears like a hurdle that creates fear and paralysis.  Finding ways to calm the storm is vital.  Remembering that emotional and physical health are closely intertwined, practising yoga, meditation or deep breathing can reduce stress and anxiety and, in some cases, a secret weapon for hot flushes and sleepless nights.

Alcohol, drug addiction and suicide rank highly in ways that mental health affects our lifespan. Sleepwalking into misery and depression are very direct indicators that mental health needs to be addressed.  Whilst there is no blanket advice as everyone has their own journey and issues, treating patients with the same approach persists in our medical world.  Standing up to medics and insisting on less medication needs to happen. Anti-depressants can help patients but rarely offer the complete solution. Our emotional health can be helped and thereby changed by working on our physical exercise, better nutrition, and sleep.

Surrounding yourself with positivity, ditching the negative influences, and making your living space a haven for relaxation and well-being is essential to support your mental happiness.  The way our rooms smell, how warm it is and how cluttered contribute to the way our mind reflects our environment. Getting out into green areas with plenty of fresh air will help your mindful state. Taking up gardening can be so fulfilling and meditative. A place of solace in the garden or creating a nurturing environment in the home can make a huge difference to your metabolic health.

Along with a view of nature, insufficient levels of light can play an important role in maintaining a role in your physical and mental health. Insufficient light can create anxiety and stress. Light affects our circadian rhythms and sleep habits and is directly related to our moods. In addition, how messy and disorganised our space is directly influencing our mental health.  Cluttered homes are linked to higher levels of stress and reduce productivity and emotional exhaustion.

The benefits of metabolic health for women are significant and can positively affect how you embrace these transitional years and beyond. Understanding that the five pillars of metabolic health affect one another and have diverse effects if disregarded.

All of these areas need to be addressed if we are to live with vitality in our latter years. Perhaps the question we should ask ourselves is why we want to live longer.  For whom and for what purpose?  There’s really no point in reaching a grand age if we are incapable of living in a fulfilled way. Personally, being surrounded by loved ones with whom I can enjoy life actively and with sound of mind will require a lifetime of commitment to work toward.

References:

Outlive by Peter Attia, MD