3 Easy Steps to Take Now to Live Longer and Reverse Aging

with special guest Dave Asprey #MakingBank S4E15

We are all looking for ways to look and feel younger and live longer, but for many of us, the options are wildly expensive and seem a bit like science fiction. Blood transfusions, telomere based treatments, and STEM cells might seem extreme or out-of-reach for the average person, but what if there were steps you could take right now that can help you live longer, feel younger, and even help reverse the effects of aging?

We are going to walk you through three actionable and accessible steps you can take to help you live a full, healthy life. All of the steps we talk about can be applied today without breaking the bank. We are all trying to show up for our families, communities, and businesses for as long as possible so why not make some small adjustments in your life that will keep you healthy and available for the people and causes you care about most?

Nature

The first simple step you can take to live longer is to get into nature. There is a ton of research on the positive effects of being in nature both physically, mentally, an emotionally, but did you know it can make a measurable difference in your body’s ability to combat cancer? Walking in an evergreen forest has been shown to increase your natural killer cells by up to 12%. This is a totally free and easily accessible option for most of us, and it has the added benefit of exercise!

If you don’t live near an evergreen forest or even a park, or nature just isn’t really your thing – what about trying essential oils? A Japanese study found that using essential oils from a certain type of Spruce tree can raise natural killer cell levels by 20%. This option has a price attached, but you can sprinkle the essential oil on your pillow before bed and help support your immune system while you sleep. Another option is to use a diffuser in your home or office (if permitted).

Energy Dense Foods

This next step is all about making small adjustments for big results. Eating and drinking things that give us energy rather than slow us down will help us feel younger, support our biology, and it can be much easier than you think.

If you are already pouring a cup of coffee every morning to kickstart your day, why not amplify the energizing potential by adding butter rather than milk? And while you’re at it, switch out the actual coffee beans with lab-tested, mold-free Bulletproof coffee so you know you’re not harming your body in the process.

Hack your meals by adding nutrient dense options, rather than filling your plate with empty calories that increase your risk of diabetes and heart disease. Cut out the fried foods – they aren’t serving your body, mind or waistline. You don’t have to go to extremes to see significant differences in your energy levels and overall health.

Sleep

Creating better sleep habits is essential to living longer and our overall health. A study conducted in 2015 by UCLA researchers suggests that just a single night of partial sleep deprivation can cause biological aging in an adult’s cells. I don’t know about you, but I have had way more than one night of sleep deprivation (shout out to all of the new parents struggling through the newborn days)! If just one night of partial sleep deprivation can cause our cells to age, how can we combat this?

First, protect your sleep. Getting enough rest needs to be non-negotiable. Get support when you need it, learn when to say no to engagements and projects you just don’t have time for, and create a nighttime routine to help you fall asleep quickly. This might look different for everyone and can take some trial-and-error, but the key here is consistency. Shut off the screens, lower the lights, get in bed at the same time every night (weekends included), and make your room a space for sleep rather than work.

Another option is to invest in blue-light blocking glasses. The harmful effect of junk light emitted by LED screens can wreak havoc on our circadian rhythm which makes it nearly impossible to fall asleep when we want to and get the rest our bodies desperately need. Technology is advancing at incredible rates and there are so many options available now that don’t leave you looking like you walked out of a Star-Trek show and are reasonably priced.

These three steps are easy to access, inexpensive, and require very little effort on your part to create measurable changes in your ability to live longer. It is all about intentionality. Making small adjustments to things we are already doing can either support or derail our goals. You don’t have to invest in costly treatments or commit to major lifestyle overhauls (unless that’s jam!) to work with your body to live longer.

So, what’s stoping you?

Once you start making these small adjustments – and start noticing the big effects they have on how you feel – more opportunities will start to surface that you might not have noticed before. You will start to notice what is giving you more energy and what is draining you. What is helping you to feel revitalized and focused? What is depleting you and making it harder for you to show up for your family, business, and yourself?

We all know that dying is part of the process, but what if we put even just a small amount of effort into intentionally living longer, healthier, and more energized lives? No one just shows up at the top of a mountain. We get there by putting one foot in front of the other. Small steps can lead to big changes and mountain top experiences. What steps are you willing to make right now to keep showing up and living your best life for as long as possible?