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OUR 12 COMMANDMENTS FOR AGEING WELL, PRINCE PHILIP AND MORE

April 11, 2021 6 Comments

The team at Noon – a new online platform for women in midlife and beyond – recently asked us for our manifesto on ageing well and our top 10 tips. We couldn’t keep it to 10, but did manage to whittle the list down to 12. If you’ve recently signed up after reading about us on Noon, then WELCOME and apologies for the repetition, but I wanted to share our 12 commandments here. I’ve expanded them slightly to give more scientific context, plus links to previous blogs we’ve written on individual topics.

Our 12 Age-Well commandments:

1. Know your purpose: having a sense of purpose gets you out of bed in the morning and gives meaning to your world. Understand what you want from life. Visualise it, write it down and carry it in your mind’s eye. A 2019 study of almost 7000 people found decreased mortality rates and reduced heart conditions among those who lived purposefully. In the study, researchers defined ‘purpose’ as ‘a self-organising life aim that stimulates goals, promotes healthy behaviours and gives meaning to life’.

2. Eat SMASH fish at least twice a week: DHA and EPA from Omega-3 fatty acids found in SMASH (sardine, mackerel, anchovies, salmon, herring) fish are vital for brain health – there’s a strong correlation between eating oily fish and thinking clearly in older adults. Low levels of DHA have been associated with smaller brain volume; low levels of EPA have been linked to mental health issues. Recent research has linked omega-3 fatty acids to both a better response to the brain-ageing impact of pollution on women, and improved heart-rate recovery (linked to lower heart attack risk). Tinned sardines (bones and all, for calcium) are an inexpensive age-well superfood. Check out these recipes on the blog for SMASH fish – salmon, mackerel, anchovies,sardines, herring.  

3. Don’t fret about supplements. Studies suggest most don’t work, with the exception of Vitamin D, which has been repeatedly linked to better brain, bone and mental health, not to mention a better chance of recovering from COVID-19. Make sure it’s vitamin D3 though. I take mine in a combined supplement with vitamin K2, the two work together to transport calcium from our arteries – exactly where we don’t want it deposited – to our bones.

4. Aim for seven portions of vegetables and fruit a day: replace junk food with green and brightly-coloured vegetables and fruits. Phytonutrients (the biochemicals found in plants) are vital for our health, providing essential nutrients and fermentable fibre, beloved by our gut microbiota. There’s a clear link between gut and brain health: with information travelling between the two along the vagus nerve, our body’s information superhighway. Research published at the end of last year linked high levels of a short chain fatty acid called butyrate – produced by the fermentation of vegetable fibre by our gut microbiota– to lower levels of amyloid plaque in the brain.

5. 10 mins of weight/resistance training every day: building and maintaining muscle is vital – and about so much more than staying strong. Muscle has been linked to improved cell function, reduced inflammation, (a hallmark of ageing), better cognition and slower bone loss. Annabel wrote a detailed post about muscles last week. I’m focussing on this form of exercise more and more now – the research into its effectiveness to help us age well is compelling.

6. Raise your heart rate: get moving every day, aiming to feel a little breathless. Mix it up, the more variety the better.  And move every hour, even if it’s just to stretch at your desk. Our sedentary, work-bound lives are killing us. That sounds dramatic but research has shown that almost any level of activity, like washing the dishes or a gentle walk, results in a lower risk of death. Just half an hour of movement makes a difference.

7. Get outside in the morning: Morning light, within an hour of waking, helps set the circadian ‘clock’ which dictates our sleep/wake cycle. A good night’s sleep starts in the morning. Bonus points if you exercise outside. Our circadian pacemaker, located in the hypothalamus, programmes the timing of all our internal biological functions. It syncs up to day and night via our retina, so if we don’t see enough light in the morning, and too much at night, the clock is out of whack. There’s more about light and sleep here. 

8. Have a sleep/rise routine: as we get older our circadian clocks become disrupted and a second clock develops, fragmenting our sleep. If they’re already disrupted by dysfunctional light messaging, the fragmentation is even worse. ‘Anchor’ your body clock by going to bed and getting up at the same time every day. Read about sleep hygiene , and good nutrition for sleep

9. Pursue novelty: seek out new experiences, new people, new landscapes, new flavours, new passions, new languages and hobbies. As we grow older we’re less inclined to hunt down novelty but our brains thrive on it, building neural pathways that keep our brains in good working order. There’s more here

10. Turn off your phone and read a book: A Yale study found book readers live almost two years longer than non-readers. Reading books leads to greater cognitive engagement and emotional intelligence; reading before bed reduces stress, helping us sleep more soundly (unlike phone scrolling). There’s a list of some our favourite books about cooking and health here 

11. Invest in chemical-free beauty and cleaning products: all too often our homes harbour outside air pollution and inside contaminants. Review the number of chemical cleaners you use, particularly sprays, and switch to organic, natural beauty products. Some of our favourites, here

12. Spend time in blue/green space: how well we age is directly affected by how much time we spend in nature. Being in green space correlates with slower cognitive decline, particularly for women. Blue space – oceans, lakes and rivers – is linked to better mental health.

PRINCE PHILIP

For our book The Age-Well Project, Annabel interviewed superagers: inspirational nonagenarians ageing with grace and fortitude. Each is very different, but they have several things in common – a sense of purpose, grit, determination and a sense of duty. All of these traits were embodied by Prince Philip. His rootless childhood left him tough and resilient, a rugged education in the Highlands gave him a love of sport, service in the Navy instilled a lifelong love of the sea. Above all, his sense of loyalty propelled him through almost a century of dedicated public life. A true loss.

EAT WELL TO AGE WELL COURSE

In my personal capacity as a health coach, I’m running a six-week class on eating well to age well. We kick off on Monday April 19th at 7pm BST, but all sessions  are recorded. Interested?

Click here for all the course details

 

Susan

 

Photo: Annie Spratt

  • Conditions: Ageing
« MYSTERIOUS REASONS FOR WORKING OUR MUSCLES
WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL ABOUT SELENIUM? »

Comments

  1. Jane Jones says

    April 12, 2021 at 6:32 am

    One thing I would like to ask about is fish oil. I have recently been advised to take fish oil supplements after some genetic testing which highlighted the importance for me to take a supplement. I love fish anyway but perhaps don’t eat quite enough. Then I watched Seaspiracy on Netflix and they were advising for environmental and ethical reasons not to eat fish. Coincidentally I had order some krill based supplements which don’t seem to absorb so many micro beads and are more sustainable –
    Krill oil
    Because krill are at the bottom end of the ocean’s food chain, they don’t have time to accumulate high levels of mercury or other contaminants.
    Krill oil supplements may cause gastrointestinal upset. However, they typically don’t cause belching. There are also vegan omega 3 supplements which comes from algae. I feel in a real dilemma about what to take. I would be interested to know anyone’s views on this.

    Reply
    • Susan Saunders says

      April 14, 2021 at 3:51 pm

      Hi Jane, I think the important thing for you is to find – as with any supplement – a source you’re comfortable with and which works for you. If you’re uncomfortable ethically about taking fish/krill oil, you might feel better about taking a vegan supplement. I’ve talked before about the fact that I take krill oil – it’s not a recommendation, but that’s my personal choice.
      Susan x

      Reply
  2. Charles says

    April 20, 2021 at 10:45 am

    Hello, have you tried the 5 BX program developed for the Canadian airforce in the 1950s. 4 basic exercises that take 5 minutes then either a walk or run or steps inside. It is progressive and quite good, although I adapted the sit ups as I prefer doing them with bent knees. It’s a good basic program that gets the blood flowing. I tried it the first time this morning and of course broke all the rules and started at my age band, rather than working my way up. Quite impressed. I do other things as well but it’s a good program.

    Always love coming to your website, sensible and practical advice. Still love your Turkish soup too, it’s a family favourite. Sometimes I make it thick and we have it as a Dahl with roasted chicken thighs or fish

    Reply
    • Susan Saunders says

      April 20, 2021 at 12:37 pm

      Hello Charles, I haven’t tried the 5 BX programme but it sounds like I should! Well done for doing it. So pleased the soup is still a family favourite, it’s such a good recipe.

      Susan

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. How to age well like the Queen! - The Age-Well Project says:
    May 27, 2022 at 12:03 pm

    […] incredible, isn’t it? Through the toughest times, the early death of her father, family dramas, losing Prince Phillip – she’s kept calm and carried on. That purpose, to serve her country, drives her forward. As […]

    Reply
  2. How to Age well like The ... Queen! | lorrie graham says:
    May 29, 2022 at 4:01 pm

    […] incredible, isn’t it? Through the toughest times, the early death of her father, family dramas, losing Prince Phillip – she’s kept calm and carried on. That purpose, to serve her country, drives her forward. As […]

    Reply

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Everything we’ve learnt about ageing well points Everything we’ve learnt about ageing well points to a time (for women at least) in their mid-60s when the chronic conditions of ageing, like diabetes, heart disease and dementia, are - statistically - more likely to kick in. 

And we know that our reproductive hormones do so much more than prepare us to have periods and babies, we have receptors for them throughout our bodies and brains. 

Oestrogen, in particular, helps keep bones strong, blood vessels flexible, brains firing and inflammation levels low. Essentially, it wraps us up in a cosy protective cloak to keep us safe and healthy while we're able to reproduce, but once the eggs have run out - we're on our own! 

Between the average age of menopause at 51, and that time in our 60s when the chronic conditions of ageing are more likely to kick in, we have a decade or so in which it’s vital to focus on our health.

And how to do that? It’s on the blog - link in bio

#longevity #womenover50 #agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevityblog #healthblog #agewellblog #over50bloggers #womenover50 #healthspan #womenover60 #menopause #menopausehealth #postmenopause #postmenopausefitness #postmenopausal #oestrogen #hormonalhealth
If you’re lucky enough to have good metabolic he If you’re lucky enough to have good metabolic health you might want to thank your Mum today. Recent studies have found that women who move around during their reproductive years and during pregnancy and then breastfeed for a bit pass on a compound in their milk called 3SL which provides lifelong protection against poor metabolic health. The offspring of moving, breastfeeding Mums appear to have a lower lifetime risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and other chronic metabolic disease. Even gentle strolling during pregnancy and while nursing can produce this compound. So today we thank our Mums for that - as well as everything else.  Susan’s mum in the hat. Annabel’s mum in the pony tail. 

#mothersday #mothers #move #agewell #goodhealth #longevitylifestyle #longevity #walk
There’s been lots of good news for walkers recen There’s been lots of good news for walkers recently. A study published last month found that over-60s who walked between 6000 and 9000 steps a day cut their risk of heart disease (including strokes and heart attacks) by 40-50 percent, when compared to a more typical 2000 steps a day. In fact this study found that for every additional 1000 steps walked, the risk fell still further. 

How far are you walking to age well? Let us know in the comments and there’s more on the power of walking on the blog - link in bio

#longevity #womenover50 #agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevityblog #healthblog #agewellblog #over50bloggers #womenover50 #healthspan #womenover60 #walking #womenwhowalk #womenwhohike #reversewalking #backwardswalking #walkingbackwards
A big hug from us to you to mark International Wom A big hug from us to you to mark International Women’s Day! 

The campaign this year reminds us to embrace equity as a way to recognise that each of us has different circumstances, and we need different resources and opportunities to reach an equal outcome. Of course, this is as vital in ageing and health outcomes as in every other field.  

So we’re embracing our age and hoping to grow older in a more equitable society ❤️

#internationalwomensday #embraceequity #embracequity2023 ##longevity #womenover50 #agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevityblog #healthblog #agewellblog #over50bloggers #womenover50 #healthspan #womenover60 #iwd2023 #madformidlife
We’ve learned to love walking backwards! So many We’ve learned to love walking backwards! So many benefits when it comes to ageing well. 

If you’re not sure how to start or are worried about looking silly (we were) - there are lots of tips on the blog, link in bio. 

If you’re a backwards walker, let us know in comments below! 

If you’re planning to start, save this post for when you’re ready for some reverse walking 

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