The Age-Well Project

Change the way you age

Get our posts direct to your inbox

  • About The Age-Well Project
  • Books
    • Our Books
    • Reviews
    • References
  • Blog
  • Recipes
    • Recipes By Ingredient
    • Breakfast
    • Dessert
    • Dinner
    • Drinks
    • Family
    • On The Go
    • Soups and Salads
    • Treats and Snacks
  • Contact
  • Events
  • Press

BOOST THE COVID JAB (HOPEFULLY!) AND A FREE MASTERCLASS

March 18, 2021 4 Comments

“Have you been called yet?” That’s the question echoing among friends and family at the moment. Here in the UK, we eagerly await our first or second Covid vaccine, and with it – we hope – the start of a return to a life more like the one we remember, pre-pandemic.

Debate still ranges about which vaccine is most effective (and safest) but, to be honest, I’m grateful to have any of them. They’re our best chance of ageing well, at the moment, aren’t they? There’s no bigger step we can take to protect our health, both by reducing our risk of contracting Covid, and by helping the world to open up more quickly. Then we can get back to the things which really do increase healthspan and longevity: spending time with friends and family, exploring the world (or at least leaving the neighbourhood!) and seeking out new experiences.

Both Annabel and I are having our first shots this week. You may be waiting for yours, or counting down to your second. There are a few simple steps we can take which may – emphasis on the ‘may’ as much of the research into vaccines has been on flu jabs not Covid – make the shot more effective and help us produce more antibodies.

Supporting our immune system

A vaccine puts our immune system to work, tricking our bodies into thinking that an invader is on the way.  Our body responds by producing T-cells and antibodies which are ready to pounce if the real thing – Covid, in this case – comes along. The more effective our immune system, the better, but they weaken as we get older. We can gently support immunity with regular exercise, lots of phytonutrient-packed fruit and vegetables – particularly those rich in vitamin C such as citrus, greens and peppers – and a vitamin D supplement. Annabel wrote a detailed post about immune support last year and you can try my favourite immune-supporting recipes for soup,  salad and a raft of smoothies.

Vitamin D, exercise and a plant-rich diet are all great for our gut microbiota. About 70% of our immune system is in the gut, so we certainly want to nurture it pre-jab. And those T-cells go through a sort of ‘boot camp’ in the gut, learning how to do their job. Our gut microbiota love to feast on prebiotic-rich, high-fibre plants and enjoy making new friends with the microbes in fermented, live foods like kimchi, kefir, yogurt  and sauerkraut. Your gut is also partial to coffee, dark chocolate, aged cheeses (particularly camembert, apparently) and red wine.

Can I have a drink?

But talking of red wine…… Drinkaware offers precautionary advice that ‘as far as alcohol is concerned, we advise that you consider not drinking for two days before, and up to two weeks after you’ve been vaccinated, to try to ensure your immune system is at its best to respond to the vaccine and protect you.’ So no cracking open the champagne to celebrate post-jab, then. However, a friend of Annabel’s asked at the vaccination centre if they were allowed to drink afterwards and were told ‘yes, but not too much!’

Sleep and showers

Research published in the journal Sleep revealed that vaccines are less effective when we’re not getting enough kip. Recipients of the Hepatitis B vaccine had their sleep tracked for six months after receiving their jabs, with those who slept poorly being less likely to make enough antibodies in response. “Sleeping fewer than six hours conferred a significant risk of being unprotected as compared with sleeping more than seven hours  per night,” said the researchers.

Cold water showers – and swimming (did you read Annabel’s post on her icy English Channel dip recently?) – also give the immune system a boost. I always end my shower with at least 30 seconds of cold water. It’s exhilarating!

SHOULD I EXERCISE BEFORE OR AFTER I GET THE JAB?

Scientists leading the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (Tilda) have recommended that people over 60 should consistently incorporate some form of exercise such as a brisk walk at least two to three times per week prior to vaccination. One report found that people over 65 who took moderate exercise for 25-30 minutes three days a week for 10 months, had a stronger immune response to the flu vaccine.

Research on athletes (obviously a subset of the population who exercise more than most of us, but still interesting findings) found that there was no difference in the efficacy of a vaccine (the flu jab in this case) depending if they’d last exercised two hours or 24 hours before the injection. A report in The Lancet suggests that ‘physical training…… could in fact improve vaccination response’.

Another study found that people over 70 who’d exercised for 45 minutes before their flu jab were less likely to react to the vaccine and its efficacy was unaffected.

How am I going to feel afterwards?

We’ve heard a whole range of post-vaccine reactions, from a couple of days of flu-like symptoms to…. absolutely nothing. According to a report in The Lancet, about 50% of recipients of both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccine reported headaches and fatigue afterwards (they didn’t detail how long that lasted). The second dose of AstraZeneca seemed to have less of an effect, although more aches and pains were reported after the second dose of Pfizer. It’s not surprising that the vaccine makes many feel a bit rough, when you consider how vaccines work. A physical response is a sign that, hopefully, our immune system is working to generate the defences it needs against the virus. And, frankly, I’ll put up with headaches and fatigue for the world to be a little more normal.

What about my arm?

Even the hardiest of souls are reporting a sore arm for a day or so after the jab. But, again, that’s part of the process. Researchers at Birmingham University found that people who exercised their arm six hours before a flu vaccine had more antibodies than those who rested before the injection. Specifically, the exercisers undertook ‘eccentric contractions of the bicep and deltoid muscles’. In exercise terms, ‘eccentric’ refers to the ‘extension under load’ part of the exercise, in this case the downward motion of a bicep curl or lowering a raised arm. So look out for me performing strange left-handed exercises outside the Science Museum (the rather unexpected, but appropriate, location for my vaccination) later today! 

Age-Well Upgrade – a free masterclass!

I’m always on the lookout for simple ways to help you make your age well lifestyle choices even more effective. I’ve put together some of my favourite strategies – the things I do every day to help me age well – with the latest scientific research into nutrition for a brand new free masterclass:

Age-Well Upgrade: power up your nutrition with five simple, science-based strategies

I’ll be sharing how we can make the strategies we already know – like eating greens and intermittent fasting – even more effective with a few simple hacks that we can do right now.

Join me on Monday March 29th at 7pm BST (GMT+1). It’s completely free and I’ll have a few giveaways and goodies up my sleeve too! Tickets available via Eventbrite here. If you can’t make  that date and time, I’ll record it and send you a link. So do grab a ticket anyway and you’ll get the link within 24 hours.

Do leave any questions in the chat below this post. I really do want to get to as many as I can, so keep them coming!

 

Susan

 

Photo credit: Daniel Schludi

« COULD WINTER SEA SWIMMING LIFT YOUR MOOD?
HOME-COOKING, EGGY MUFFINS AND EASTER RECIPES! »

Comments

  1. Tricia says

    March 18, 2021 at 6:45 pm

    I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and take an immune suppressing drug. I am always confused when articles talk about boosting the immune system, when my drug is working to suppress it. What to do?

    Reply
    • Susan Saunders says

      March 22, 2021 at 11:11 am

      Hi Tricia, you raise a really good point here. We shouldn’t really talk about ‘boosting’ the immune system, what we aim for is ‘supporting’ it to function as well as possible. Boosting suggests we want it to go into overdrive, which – of course – we don’t. I was talking about ‘boosting’ the efficacy of the Covid vaccine, if possible. The most important thing is to follow the advice of your medical practitioner. Susan x

      Reply
  2. Katherine Lindann says

    March 18, 2021 at 11:46 pm

    Greetings Susan and Annabel,
    I’ve been following you both now, for quite a few years, and always enjoy hearing about your latest discoveries and events etc. I have adopted many of your suggestions about preserving one’s health and sanity! I feel pretty fit and fortunate as I am living in Perth, Western Australia, and we have experienced a very different Covid life to the rest of the country. In my 70’S now, I’m awaiting my first jab, although there seems to be a bit of delay and confusion about when and how the mass immunisation will happen!
    Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you so very much for your continued ‘life support’! and dedication to showing a very happy and healthy way of living a good life.
    Cheers, Katherine Lindann.

    Reply
    • Susan Saunders says

      March 19, 2021 at 2:57 pm

      Hi Katherine

      Thanks so much for getting in touch and so pleased you’re enjoying the blog. Stay fit and well! Susan x

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Welcome to The Age-Well Project

Welcome to The Age-Well Project!
Here you’ll find easy changes for a longer, happier life. We’ve immersed ourselves in the science of longevity and distilled the research to make it work in our everyday lives. You can change the way you age: here’s how.

Favourite Posts

WHY I’VE THROWN OUT ALL MY BEAUTY PRODUCTS (nearly…)

Why Alzheimer’s Is A Women’s Issue

HOW HAVING A DOG CHANGED MY LIFE

GREEN SPACE IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH

SUGAR, CHOCOLATE, SADNESS AND BRAIN-BOOSTING BISCUITS

WHY ‘INFLAMM-AGEING’ COULD START IN THE GUT AND HARISSA-ROASTED VEGETABLE SALAD

POLYAMINES – THE NEW SECRET WEAPON FOR AGEING WELL & MOROCCAN SPINACH AND CHICKPEAS.

THINNING AGEING HAIR – WARM CHICKEN LIVER SALAD

About The Age Well Project

This site is for anyone who wants to make the second half of their life as healthy, happy and disease-free as possible. Sign up to get the latest research on ageing – and delicious recipes to match – direct to your inbox.

agewellproject

⭐️Change the way you age
📚The Age-Well Project + Age-Well Plan ⭐️Get tips & recipes on our blog - sign up ⬇️

The Age-Well Project blog
Susan was lucky enough to spend a day at the olive Susan was lucky enough to spend a day at the olive harvest at Bidni Extra Virgin Olive Oil @bidni_evoo in Malta in late September. Fresh from the press, the oil was pretty peppery! That’s the polyphenols at work.

Polyphenol levels in olive oil also play a vital role in its brain boosting properties. They help reduce neuroinflammation and slow cognitive decline.

A study presented at a conference this summer by Harvard School of Public Health looked at the cognition of more than 90,000 people over 30 years. It found that those who consumed half a tablespoon of olive oil each day, as opposed to mayonnaise or margarine, had a 28%  lower risk of dying from dementia. Interestingly, this research found that the brain benefits of olive oil held up, regardless of the quality of the rest of the participants’ diet. So even those who didn’t adhere to other guidelines of the Mediterranean diet still got the benefits from the oil.

There’s more on the blog - link in bio

#womenover50 #over50andfit #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalwomen #postmenopausalhealth 
#brainhealth #alzheimers #reducedementiarisk #cognitivehealth  #agewell #longevity #ageingwell #agingwell #longevity #EVOO
Two new pieces of research you need to know about Two new pieces of research you need to know about if you want to age well: 

1️⃣ the kynurenine pathway. It’s complicated but high levels of it don’t bode well for ageing well. Several studies have found that older people, those who’ve had hip fractures, the frail, as well as the depressed have higher circulating levels of kynurenine.  Indeed the more kynurenine in your blood, the greater your chances of dying sooner rather than later. High levels of kynurenine also seem to be associated with low levels of melatonin and serotonin – meaning both poorer sleep and a greater risk of depression.

New research has identified a very simple way of blocking the accumulation of kynurenine (and its toxic by-products) in our blood and tissues: regular, heart-beat-raising movement.

2️⃣ Platelet Factor 4 (PF4). This compound appears to keep our brains and memories sharp. And it too is released when we move. Discovered by a team from the University of Queensland Brain Institute, PF4 is a protein secreted by the tiny blood cells that prevent blood clotting (known as platelets). This protein rejuvenates brain cells (neurons) in ageing mice, and researchers now think it may be the reason that exercise  and movement amplify the production of new neurons in the brain.

Want more info? It’s on the blog - link in bio 

#womenover50 #over50andfit #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalwomen #postmenopausalhealth 
#brainhealth #alzheimers #reducedementiarisk #cognitivehealth  #agewell #longevity #ageingwell #agingwell #longevity
In today’s Observer: Check out our top tips for In today’s Observer: Check out our top tips for caring for ourselves and our parents. Take a multi vit for 50+, persevere with technology and/or try something new every day, walk daily, stay social, consume sufficient protein, supplement with vits D and B12… 

#agewell #healthyaging
Autumn giveaway! 🍂 We’ve got a bundle of two Autumn giveaway! 🍂

We’ve got a bundle of two books to give away here on Insta - one copy of The Age-Well Project and one of 52 Ways to Walk. 

To win, simply leave a comment below letting us know your favorite landscape for autumn and winter walks. Do you like hills, mountains, flatlands, canals, rivers, coastlines, cities, cemeteries, your local park, moorland...? Just a few words to tell us where you’d most like to be walking in the next few months to help you age well. 

The competition closes at midnight BST on 18 October and a winner will be selected at random.

And in case you’re wondering why Annabel’s interested in your favourite landscape, it’s because she’s writing a new book about the places we choose to walk in and how they affect us. So she’d love to get a rough idea of the best-loved locations… all in confidence, of course.

Good luck!

#womenover50 #over50andfit #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalwomen #postmenopausalhealth 
#brainhealth #alzheimers #reducedementiarisk #cognitivehealth  #agewell #longevity #ageingwell #agingwell #giveaway #womenwhohike #womenwhowalk
Look, we know not many people have round-the-clock Look, we know not many people have round-the-clock access to a sauna. But Susan found one in a hotel she was staying at recently, there’s one in our local gym and Annabel found plenty on her summer holiday in Finland. 

A growing number of studies attest to the longevity-enhancing benefits of routine forays into a sauna. Much of the research has been instigated in Finland where sauna (pronounced to rhyme with downer) has existed forever.

So how does sauna help us age well? The extreme heat activates heat shock proteins which researchers think can maintain the healthy functioning of our cells.  As we get older, the proteins in some of our cells start to misfold and collapse. They then clump together forming plaques, including the plaques thought to cause Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Heat shock proteins – triggered by a sauna stint and possibly by hot baths – appear to prevent the misfolding and collapsing of cellular proteins, as well as clearing out those that have already misfolded. Which is to say they keep our cells in good shape. 

There’s more on the blog - link in bio 

#womenover50 #over50andfit #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalwomen #postmenopausalhealth 
#brainhealth #alzheimers #reducedementiarisk #cognitivehealth #betterbrainhealth #brainfog  #agewell #longevity #ageingwell #agingwell
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Contact Us

For any enquiries please email theagewellproject@gmail.com.

Copyright © 2023 The Age-Well Project