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

WHY YOU MIGHT NOT BE AS OLD AS YOU THINK – PEA & WATERCRESS PUREE WITH SMOKED MACKEREL

October 30, 2015 6 Comments

pea puree with smoked mackerel

I recently had a (very basic) health check – the free one you’re offered when you reach a certain age (if you’re lucky enough to live in the UK).  I went in rather smugly, having been on the Kale & Cocoa diet for 18 months now – and came out a little less smugly.  It seems I still drink too much and I still don’t do quite enough aerobic exercise.  But I was thrilled that my cholesterol’s so low the test couldn’t find it, my blood pressure’s low and my heart’s five years younger than my body. Result! I high-fived myself and immediately started wondering what I could do to further turn the clock back.  Because the interesting thing about ageing is that many of us are not our actual age. We can, within reason, choose the age we want to be.  Scientists refer to this as our biological age versus our chronological age. In other words, the age of our body and mind versus the number of years we’ve been alive.

Last month scientists from Kings College London unveiled a study in which they identified 150 genes able to determine someone’s biological age.  They referred to this as the ‘healthy age gene score’ and tested it on a group of sixty-five year olds, going back after five years to check how reliable it was.  Apparently it was very reliable. Read more here http://www.livescience.com/52105-biological-age-cognitive-health-genes.html.  They now hope to develop a blood test based on their findings.

Society is currently structured around chronological age (think life assurance premiums, health insurance premiums, pensions, retirement ages etc.), but imagine if that all changed?  It’s not as far-fetched as it seems because our biological age is far more informative than our chronological age.  In a recent study, 1000 people born between 1972 and 1973 were monitored to study the effects of ageing. A total of 18 biological markers were measured including blood pressure, brain function, cholesterol, hand grip strength, liver function, gum health, eye health and telomere length (the ends of our DNA strands). The study found while most individuals aged according to their chronological age (meaning they aged 12 months for every year), some aged at a much quicker pace, ageing three years for every year. Some people in their 30s were biologically in their 60s (how scary is that?) while some were almost a decade ‘biologically’ younger than their actual age. Interestingly researchers found that this showed in their looks – so those who looked older than their chronological age were also biologically older.  Check out Susan’s post on delaying wrinkles here.

The researchers believed most of these changes were environmental and not genetic, suggesting that ageing is a controllable factor and that we are all, in part, responsible for how quickly we age. We know from other research that sustained exercise can add almost a decade to our life span while switching to the Mediterranean diet can add five years.  We also know that smoking, sedentary life styles and a high sugar intake  can age us prematurely. But the interesting thing about this study is the ages of the participants. Most studies on ageing focus on older people, but this looked at people in their thirties – suggesting it’s never too early to start your own healthy ageing programme.  Read more at https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/07/07/study-of-1000-38-year-olds-shows-biological-age-ranges-from-30-to-60/

In the meantime, try one of these online tests to see if you’re on track with your healthy ageing.  They’re not as sophisticated as the blood test devised by Kings College, but they might draw attention to some of the things you need to improve: http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20824577,00.html (this one gave me exactly the biological age my health check gave me incidentally, while the following one knocked a decade off which I suspect is a little optimistic!) http://growyouthful.com/gettestinfo.php?testtype=quizb

Of course, the big news this week has been the World Health Organisation’s announcement on the carcinogenic nature of processed meat.  At Kale & Cocoa, we’ve always been wary of processed meat and the WHO study has confirmed our concerns.  Read our original post here.  Having said that we have no objection to the occasional slice of bacon … #YOLO, as our teenage daughters would say (that translates as You Only Live Once) – but do have plenty of veg with it!  The WHO report says the carcinogenic nature of red and processed meat could be reduced if it was served with lots of veg.  Or tuck into the meat-free recipe below…

PEA AND WATERCRESS PUREE WITH SMOKED MACKEREL

Serves 4

After my post on polyamines, highlighting the potency of peas, I began experimenting with pea purees and mackerel (we’re big fans of oily fish at Kale & Cocoa).  Peas and fish are a classic combination, but this one includes watercress (the most nutrient-dense vegetable available – read the science here) and I’ve used smoked mackerel because it’s even easier and faster than grilling a piece of fish.  But fresh mackerel, salmon or any white fish (pan-fried or grilled and drizzled with olive oil and a squirt of lemon) would work brilliantly too. It’s my version of fish and mushy peas!. And to all those who say cooking takes too long, I say ‘try this then’…

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion
  • 500g frozen peas
  • 1 bunch watercress (stems and all – I like John Hurd’s organic watercress from Waitrose)
  • 4 fillets of smoked mackerel, flaked, or fresh fish of your choice
  • Lemon wedges to serve

Saute the onion in the olive oil.  When soft, add the peas and a few tablespoons of water. When the peas are cooked (3-4 minutes), set aside any excess liquid and put the pea-onion mixture into a food processor with the washed watercress.  Blitz, adding a splash of the cooking water if you need to thin the mixture. Season to taste and top with your fish. Serve with lemon wedges.

Annabel

  • Meal Types: Dinner, Family
  • Conditions: Ageing, general
  • Ingredients: Fish, Mackerel, Peas, Watercress
« CHOCOLATE CAN HELP PREVENT DEMENTIA? AND CHOCO-MATCHA COOKIES
EAT LESS MEAT AND LIVE LONGER? AND BAKED STUFFED SWEET POTATOES »

Comments

  1. hilary says

    October 30, 2015 at 7:49 am

    The free health check for the over 60’s should be taken with a very large pinch of (sea) salt. I walk for a good 2 hours every day; I manage a very large garden, with vegetable beds and a lot of grass; and I attend a ballet class. But because i couldn’t tick the tennis and swimming boxes, I was recorded as, officially, inactive. I was weighed but not measured, so the weight recorded was meaningless. There was not one single question about diet/nutrition (I am vegan), but at least 10 about alcohol including, had I ever harmed anyone whilst under the influence of drink!
    Yes, the blood test information was reassuring. But don’t waste time or temper on the rest of it.

    Reply
    • Annabel Abbs says

      November 1, 2015 at 8:11 pm

      You’re right, Hilary. These tests are really very basic. I got the impression from the nurse doing mine that they were little more than a way of identifying major problems early on. As she said, all the doctors and nurses she knew would be out-and-out alcoholics if they answered the drink question honestly! You sound immensely active – keep it up!

      Reply
  2. Gillian says

    October 30, 2015 at 12:35 pm

    Sorry to put a dampner on things but its apparently not good to be too low on cholesterol, brain needs it to function, people who have higher cholesterol live longer, check it out

    Reply
    • Annabel Abbs says

      November 1, 2015 at 8:06 pm

      Thanks Gillian – you’re absolutely right, but in this instance it was more that the cholesterol test i was given only registered very high levels. I did a blood test and everything was fine…

      Reply
  3. irina says

    November 9, 2015 at 3:09 pm

    Contrary to what you expect “nonexistent” cholesterol for a female of a certain age is not good. Females who have cholesterol levels above “recommended” level are generally more healthier and live longer. Cholesterol is very important biological molecule and its significance is completely misunderstood by medical “science”.

    Reply
    • Annabel Abbs says

      November 9, 2015 at 9:32 pm

      Don’t worry – i think i need to re-word my sentence! The cholesterol test they use is very basic and only shows very high or very low levels. If they show nothing it means you’re OK, rather than you have non-existant cholesterol. I need to rephrase this as you’re not the first to point it out. Thanks!

      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
Make the most of the light summer evenings (in the Make the most of the light summer evenings (in the northern hemisphere at least) by going on a scented walk!

Our olfactory bulb (the cluster of smell cells at the top of our nostrils) more receptive in spring and summer, and not only are plants more likely to be in full perfumed bloom, but the warmer air also traps these molecules for longer. 

Now, here’s the interesting bit. Loss of smell has been linked to neurodegenerative disease, with some researchers suggesting that smell tests should be routinely offered by doctors. A 2022 study found that loss of smell (known as anosmia) was an important early sign of Alzheimer’s-related cognitive impairment.

But there’s no need to panic, because studies also show that our olfactory system is much like a muscle – use it or lose it. So get out there and sniff the air! There’s more on the blog - link in bio 

#longevity #womenover50 #agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevityblog #healthblog #agewellblog #over50bloggers #womenover50 #healthspan #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalhealth #alzheimers #preventalzheimers
What do you want to achieve for your bones?’ T What do you want to achieve for your bones?’ 

This interesting question came from Rebekah Rotstein, who has worked with the Royal Osteoporosis Society and is founder of movement system Buff Bones @gotbuffbones when Susan interviewed her for The Power Decade. 

We thought the answer was that we wanted them to be dense, because that would protect them in the years ahead. Rebekah invited us to view this another way, ‘Your goal is not just to have high bone density,’ she explained. ‘Your goal is to not fracture and to live a full, independent life. You do this by strengthening your bones and body. But you also need to maintain and improve your balance and responsiveness to avoid falls because falls lead to fractures.’

We’re big fans of the ‘brushing your teeth standing on one leg’ trick to add extra age-well benefits to this most regular of tasks by improving balance. When we do it, we can feel movement – and a bit of a wobble – in our feet. Rebekah explains that this movement is also a form of calibration, helping us maintain balance. She urges us to try this barefoot because, as we age, we lose dexterity in our feet: we want to be able to feel the messages they’re sending us.

There’s more on better bone health on the blog - link in bio

#longevity #womenover50 #agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevityblog #healthblog #agewellblog #over50bloggers #womenover50 #healthspan #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalhealth #bonehealth #osteoporosis #osteopenia #balance #buffbones
Beans for breakfast?! Yes please. On a recent trip Beans for breakfast?! Yes please. On a recent trip to Jordan, Annabel started her day with foul, made from fava beans. 

The Jordanians mash the cooked beans and serve them warm from a swan-necked vessel using a Harry Potter-ish long-handled ladle.  The beans are then drizzled and scattered with various spices, sauces and olive oil. 

Full of protein and fibre, it’s a great way to start the day. The (super-simple) recipe is on the blog, link in bio 

#longevity #womenover50 #agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevityblog #healthblog #agewellblog #over50bloggers #womenover50 #healthspan #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalhealth #breakfast #breakfastrecipes #favabeans
Grab some GABA! This neurotransmitter is linked to Grab some GABA! This neurotransmitter is linked to better sleep and mood - but needs progesterone to produce it. This is why post-menopausal women are more likely to experience insomnia and anxiety. 

But there are actions we can take to produce more GABA naturally. Save this post for future reference and check out our GABA blog post - link in bio

And save this for future reference 😊

#longevity #womenover50 #agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevityblog #healthblog #agewellblog #over50bloggers #womenover50 #healthspan #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalhealth #GABA #neurotransmitter
A three-page interview of Annabel in today’s @ob A three-page interview of Annabel in today’s @obsmagazine extolling the benefits of walking, and of being outdoors. Just in case you’ve had your fill of the coronation… ´Walking is freedom, an escape for the mind and the body.’ 

Hear hear!
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Contact Us

For any enquiries please email theagewellproject@gmail.com.

Copyright © 2023 The Age-Well Project