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In a recent blog I discussed why we villainise ageing and what we should do to redefine what ‘beautiful’ is.

What we see, on our face and through our skin, is a reflection of how we feel about ourselves and how we treat our bodies.

In this blog I share natural and practical pro-aeging tips to promote longevity which will inadvertently shine through the beautiful YOU.

NAD+

Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD) is a form of Vitamin B3, derived from Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) and produced naturally in your body.

There are two forms – NAD+ and NADH, but NAD+ is the focus when it comes to longevity. NAD+ converts glucose into cell energy and promotes healthy cell functioning. In turn it supports healthy metabolism, cognition, cardiovascular, DNA repair and reduces inflammation – all important for healthy ageing – and so it is considered the youth molecule.

Levels of NAD in our body determine your speed of ageing. Younger cells and tissues have higher NAD which is why youth have more energy, more cognition and better cell restoration. NAD production slows with time along with poor lifestyle and bad nutrition.

You can boost NAD+ naturally through movement or exercise, heat exposure such as a sauna, fasting, increase vitamin B sources of food in your whole food diet such as avocado and look at fermented drinks and food. You can supplement support or have an NAD IV infusion.

I personally prefer the IV infusion performed over 4 days vs supplementing – it seems there isn’t a consensus on exactly which supplements increase NAD levels. NMN is one and there is supplement called Truniagin with the active ingredient Niagen®, backed by studies as a NAD+ precursor, but if you can, an IV infusion is worth it.

This is a great podcast to listen to: https://daveasprey.com/charles-brenner/

Build muscle strength

Muscle = ‘the organ of longevity’.

Strong muscles support pro-ageing on a cellular, blood flow, hormone and genetic level.

Muscle capacity generally decreases after the age of 40, so building and maintaining strength from an early age and following through is important for long term health.

I would recommend intermittent aerobic exercises, micro-movement and resistance training exercises. Then in between – stretching which is important for your fascia, the connective tissue throughout your body.

Note that excessive, obsessive exercise can have the opposite effect, putting your body under stress which can accelerate ageing.

Be strategic with nutrition

You can alter your ageing/longevity gene expression with diet. Nutrients, eating patterns and understanding what your body specifically needs, will impact how your body responds.

If your diet is out of kilter, you can compromise your immunity and healthy inflammatory response. It is well known that Inflammation is an underlying cause or symptom of a number of diseases.

I encourage a whole food diet, close to nature (organic where possible), loads of greens with antioxidant cruciferous vegetables, seasonal vegetables grown locally, healthy grass-fed organic animal protein (if eating animal protein), healthy fat and fibre.

Avoid any sugar, processed or refined food, grains, dairy, gluten and any vegetable oils. Click here for more of a guide on my ideal nourishing plate.

Get sufficient, consistent quality sleep

Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep a night, with a regular bed and wake cycle to sync with your circadian rhythm, your natural biological rhythm.

During sleep your body detoxifies, produces collagen, restores cells and promotes hormone balancing.

Spend more time in nature

This is one of my favourite activities but so many of us don’t get to do it often enough.

Being in nature supports emotional and physical wellbeing – healthy blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension and stress release.

A walk in nature, even barefoot for 30 min a day on grass or beach sand, will promote longevity.

Tony Riddle’s new book ‘Be More Human’, explores the importance of reconnecting with our natural state and how to live more naturally. My Instagram post TIPS TO REWILD YOUR LIFE lists his suggestions on how to connect more with nature.

Get more sunshine

Vitamin D is an essential energy nutrient in your body. It is important for the regulation of calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood which are vital for healthy bones. It also supports immunity and mental health.

Annually testing your vitamin D levels, your biomarkers, will give you the knowledge you need to know how much vitamin D you are getting and if not enough, to get more even with supplementation. The normal range for adults is 60-80 ng/ml.

In fact, when it comes to promoting longevity and preventing disease, I encourage annual testing of a number biomarkers to know if anything needs to be addressed. Click here for my list of suggested tests.

Improve vagal tone

Your vagus nerve is the longest and most complex cranial nerve in your body. ‘Vagus’ is Latin for ‘wanderer’, which is appropriate given how it meanders from the brain to organs in the neck, chest and abdomen.

It is an important part of the brain-gut axis and is involved in numerous functions including managing inflammation, balancing the intestine, gut function, energy and stress homeostasis. This key nerve also has a major impact on your parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which is responsible for the body’s “rest and digest” response that occurs when the body is relaxed, resting or feeding.

When it’s not functioning well, it impacts your health and can speed up the ageing process.

Natural techniques like deep breathing, humming, meditation and cold water exposure can increase vagus functioning. Explore more techniques in my blog on the vagus nerve.

Floss daily

Yes! Flossing helps prevent gum disease. Gum disease can trigger inflammation in the body and is linked to stiffened blood vessels and the risk of memory problems.

Aim to floss 2-3 times a day, with regular dentistry teeth cleaning.

Use red light therapy

Red light wavelengths affect bodily cells on a biochemical level. It acts on the energy organelles in your body’s cells called mitochondria to produce more energy.

With more energy, your cells can work more efficiently, helping to repair skin, boost new cell growth, stimulate collagen production, increase blood circulation and reduce inflammation. It can also improve sleep quality. In fact, the better the body functions as a whole.

Red light wavelengths on your skin penetrate 0.8 to 1 cm (8-10 mm)deep. So, depending upon where the red light is directed, it impacts skin layers of blood vessels, lymphs, nerves and hair follicles.

The recommended guide for under your red light us for 20 minutes, 3 times a week.

I do 10 min everyday while meditating or while I dry body brush

Targeted supplements

Magnesium

An essential enzyme in the body for DNA repair and replication which if not supported can speed ageing. It also promotes collagen production.

Berberine

Berberine has the ability to regulate blood sugar levels, activate the longevity pathway AMPK and help with weight loss which makes it beneficial to slow ageing and boost longevity.

Collagen

It is a powerful and abundant protein produced in the body and important for skin health and longevity, connective tissue strength, injury prevention, joint health and brain health, to name a few. I am a fan of Great Lakes Collagen and take it every day.

Spirulina

It is super nutrient rich blue green algae that supports health and longevity on so many levels and known to support a healthy heart, lowering cholesterol and help reduce inflammation. I take Marcus Rohrer Spirulina, and have been doing so for 11 years. I can feel it when I don’t take it.

Glutathione

It is produced in the body to remove toxins from the body. Oxidative damage leads to premature ageing and disease. We are exposed to so many toxins these days that often our glutathione cannot keep up and supplementation is important.

Omega 3

Supplementing with Omega3 has been shown to improve life expectancy, support a healthy heart, eyes, and brain. It also decreases inflammation and improves skin firmness and elasticity for youthfulness.

Natroceutics is my go-to supplement brand for my magnesium, omega 3, glutathione and berberine.

10 pro-ageing tips for longevity