Revitalize Your Body: Easy Steps to Lower Your Biological Age

Biological vs Chronological Aging

We often think of aging as a package deal with a slew of unwelcome guests—memory loss, Alzheimer’s, frailty, and muscle loss. It’s like receiving an unwanted surprise party from Father Time! But guess what? This doesn’t have to be your reality. Our healthcare system tends to lump all these symptoms under the “getting old” umbrella, failing to recognize the difference between biological age and chronological age.

But Longevity research is flipping the script! We can now separate chronological age (how many birthdays you’ve celebrated) from biological age (how old your body feels and functions). Biological aging happens when your cells and tissues stop working properly and start throwing a party of their own—think high blood pressure, diabetes, chronic pain, brain fog, poor sleep, poor cognition and more. These aren’t just advanced stages of diseases like cancer or Alzheimer’s; they’re the very common symptoms we take as normal.

Over time, this chronic state of “dis-ease” (see what we did there?) can lead to what we typically think of as diseases. But don’t worry, there’s good news ahead! In this blog, we’ll explore fun and easy steps you can take to outsmart Father Time and lower your biological age.

What Causes Biological Aging?

But first, let’s dive into what causes biological aging! Imagine “dis-ease” as a state of being out of sync or having a bad day where nothing seems to go right. Coherence is like having everything in perfect harmony—whether it’s atoms, organ systems, people, teams, or society. It’s that sweet spot where everything clicks together smoothly.

When your body is in a state of coherence, it’s like a well-orchestrated symphony: all the instruments (or cells and systems) are playing in tune, and the flow of information and energy (a.k.a. metabolism) is seamless. But when things start to go haywire—think of it as a few instruments going out of tune or a section of the orchestra missing its cues—this leads to biological aging. Basically, it’s the buildup of “junk” that messes up the smooth flow of information and energy, causing your body’s performance to falter.

Here are the culprits that promote biological aging (decoherence):

• toxins (in food, plastics, personal care products, chemicals, etc.)
• alcohol
• smoking
• lack of sleep
• poor nutrient status
• mental and emotional stress
• opportunistic organisms; viruses, bacteria, parasites
• poor digestive health
• poor hydration

These factors are unhealthy stressors that ultimately lead to what longevity experts have identified as the 9 Hallmarks of Aging; a set of cellular and molecular processes that contribute to the aging process. The 9 Hallmarks provide a framework for understanding how aging occurs and how it might be mitigated. Here’s a brief overview:

1. Genomic Instability: Accumulation of DNA damage over time, which can lead to mutations and cellular dysfunction.
2. Telomere Attrition: Shortening of telomeres, the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes, leading to cellular aging and senescence.
3. Epigenetic Alterations: Changes in gene expression regulation (turning genes on and off) without altering the DNA sequence, which affects cellular function and longevity.
4. Loss of Proteostasis: Decline in the cellular mechanisms that maintain protein folding and function, leading to accumulation of damaged proteins. Proteostasis is like an orchestra trying to perform a symphony with several instruments out of tune. The proteins can’t do their job as well.
5. Deregulated Nutrient Sensing: Impaired ability of cells to respond to nutrient status, often involving pathways like insulin and insulin growth-factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling, which affects metabolism and growth.
6. Mitochondrial Dysfunction: Decline in mitochondria function and genesis, the brains and energy powerhouses of the cell, leading to decreased energy production, dysregulated signaling and metabolism, and increased oxidative stress.
7. Cellular Senescence: Accumulation of senescent (old) cells that no longer divide but remain metabolically active, often secreting harmful inflammatory molecules.
8. Stem Cell Exhaustion: Decline in the regenerative capacity of stem cells, leading to decreased tissue repair and renewal.
9. Altered Intercellular Communication: Disruption in the signaling between cells, contributing to chronic inflammation and tissue dysfunction.

How to Lower Your Biological Age

Harvard Medical School’s David Sinclair, a pioneering researcher in aging and longevity, suggests the “Information Theory of Aging.” This theory posits that aging results from a breakdown in communication between our DNA and our environment, leading to epigenetic (see above) changes and the emergence of the 9 Hallmarks of Aging. This means that the information of our lifestyle, what we do all day, in addition to our thoughts and emotions, our epi-genome, determine which genes are turned on or off.  To lower our biological age, we need to retune our instruments and get the orchestra playing harmoniously again, creating coherence within our cells. Anything we can do to create coherence will help reduce our biological age.

Here’s a list of strategies supported by research that can help lower biological age:

1. Stay Hydrated with Structured water.

• Why: Proper hydration helps maintain cellular function, supports detoxification, and promotes overall bodily functions. Structured water, also known as the 4th phase of water, is a unique form of water found within the body and in nature. It has a distinct molecular arrangement that allows it to interact more effectively with cells and tissues, enhancing its ability to support metabolic processes and function at the molecular level.  A study with 19 individuals drinking structured water for 3 months showed a decrease in biological age up to 13 years with a group average of 4 years.(R)
• How: Aim to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, preferably structured water, and adjust based on activity levels and climate. The more water we drink the more electrolytes we loose so add 1/2 tsp of Baja Gold salt or Celtic Sea Salt for every 8 8-ounce glasses of water. These electrolyte packets are convenient for on the go.

2. Exercise Regularly

• Why: Physical activity helps flush out toxins, moves energy, maintain muscle mass, improves cardiovascular health, enhances metabolism, and reduces inflammation and dramatically improves mood.
• How: Incorporate a mix of aerobic exercises, HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), strength training, and flexibility and balance exercises into your routine to effectively promote mitochondrial biogenesis and autophagy, leading to improved cellular health and potentially reducing biological age. Aim for at least 150 minutes of zone 2 cardio per week for maximum heart benefits.

3. Practice Intermittent Fasting

• Why: Fasting can promote cellular repair processes, improve metabolism, and has been shown to extend lifespan by triggering our longevity genes. Studies in mice have shown lifespan increase by up to 30% with caloric restriction and shorter feeding windows.(R) Being in a fed state (snacking all the time) doesn’t allow autophagy, the cleaning up and recycling of dead cells and unnecessary components.
• How: Common methods include 16/8 fasting (fasting for 16 hours and eating within an 8-hour window) or 5:2 fasting (eating normally for 5 days and restricting calories for 2 non-consecutive days).

4. Maintain a Consistent Sleep Schedule

• Why: Quality sleep is crucial for cellular repair, cognitive function, and overall health. Disruptions in sleep can accelerate aging processes. Better alignment with natural light cycles can increase the amount of restorative deep sleep, which is crucial for cell repair and reducing your biological age.
• How: Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night, and establish a regular sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up at the same time each day.

5. Meditate Regularly

• Why: Meditation can reduce stress, increase energy, lower inflammation, and improve mental clarity. When compared to other types of meditation, studies have shown Transcendental Mediation (TM) to have the most significant effects on many markers of aging.(R)  Our emotional state effects how well the body responds to stress. Therefore a regular meditation practice creates deep internal peace, destressing the nervous system, which equates to more coherence, more structured water within your cells.
• How: Adopt a meditation or breath work practices for 10-20 minutes a day. Apps and guided sessions can help beginners.

6. Regular Sauna Use

• Why: A Finnish research study showed that men that use the sauna two to three times a week had 22% lower sudden cardiac death compared to men that use this on a one-time per week & men that used sauna 4-7 times a week had a 63% lower incidence of sudden cardiac death compared to men that used this one-time per week. This study also looked at other heart conditions and all cause mortality with similar findings. (R) A similar study was done on stroke risk with similar findings. Men who used sauna 4-7 times a week showed a ~60% lower stroke risk. (R)
• How: Incorporate sauna sessions into your routine, maybe worth buying one for your home, aiming for 3-7 times per week for at least 20 min.

7. Engage in Cold Plunging

• Why: Cold exposure has been shown to improve mental health, physical health and physical performance. Cold therapy has been shown to activate longevity genes, and enrich the amount of brown adipose tissues (BAT). BAT is rich in mitochondria. (R) Cold exposure is also believed to enhance the formation of structured water, the 4th phase of water in your cells, thus enhancing mitochondrial function and metabolism.
• How: 11 min per week is the magic number. Start with brief cold showers or ice baths, gradually increasing exposure as tolerated. Aim for a few minutes of cold exposure 2-3 times per week. How cold? Temperature doesn’t actually matter so much. It just needs to be uncomfortably cold. Cold enough that you want to get out but you can calm yourself and stay in for at least 2-3 minutes. You may only be able to handle 30 seconds or 1 min in the beginning. Duration will improve over time.

8. Regular Detoxification and Clean Eating

• Why: Regular detoxification and clean eating help remove toxins and lower toxin burden on the body. Toxins are one of the easiest ways we gunk up the body creating massive decoherence. They impair cellular function and accelerate biological aging.
• How: Incorporate foods rich in antioxidants, fiber, and essential vitamins and minerals into your diet. Focus on whole foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and gluten-free grains. Avoid processed foods, excessive sugar, and artificial additives. Consider bi-annual detox protocols, like our Stronger Leaner Healthier 14 day deTOX, such as juice cleanses or fasting, to support the body’s natural detoxification processes.

9. Mind Your Digestive Health & Microbiome

• Why: If the integrity of your digestion and gut lining are compromised you increase the potential for toxins, food particles, and microorganisms getting into your blood stream. Poor digestion decrease your ability to extract essential nutrients from your food, even if you are eating the “right” food, all of which decreases coherence and increases inflammation.
• How: If you suffer from any obvious digestive issues, gas, bloating, acid reflux, diarrhea, constipation or have been diagnosed with IBS it may be time to get to the root of the problem. Consider mapping your microbiome with the BiomeFX Stool test. Even if you have no digestive complaints but you suffer from any chronic condition it is likely your gut is playing a role.

These practices, when combined, can help improve your overall health and potentially reduce your biological age.

How to Measure Your Biological Age?

TruAge COMPLETE, at-home epigenetic test tells you how old you really are from a biological standpoint, on a cellular level. TruAge COMPLETE offers the most comprehensive and in-depth look at 75+ biomarkers and various, biological elements of aging.

TruAge COMPLETE answers the following age-related questions: 

• My birthday makes me _ years old, but how old is my body, biologically?
• What is my age-related risk of developing various diseases?
• What is my age-related risk of death?
• Strictly looking at performance biomarkers, how old am I from a physical fitness standpoint?
• I have _ concentrations of various immune cells. How are those levels impacting my biological age?
• For each calendar year that passes, how many years is my body actually aging?
• How long are my telomeres?
• How does my relationship with alcohol consumption impact my DNA expression and aging processes?
• According to my DNA expression, am I likely to lose weight from restricting my caloric intake?
• How has my lifetime exposure to tobacco smoke impacted my DNA expression and aging processes?
• What can I do to improve my age-related, biological metrics?

Here is a Sample Report.

From the power of structured water to the benefits of HIIT workouts and the magic of syncing your sleep cycle with nature, adopting these science-backed tips can help you feel younger, and stronger longer.

Questions? contact us @ [email protected]