"Our biological rhythms are the symphony of the cosmos, music embedded deep within us to which we dance, even when we can't name the tune." That's how Deepak Chopra sums up the amazing power within each person's being.
A new study in the journal Aging explains the power of biological rhythms in more specific, but just as powerful, terms: You can live younger longer by tuning in to smart lifestyle choices, turning on health-promoting genes (that's called epigenetic changes) and dropping out of your slow slide into ill health. And we can name that tune - "The Epigenetic Waltz"!
The researchers say you can roll back your biological clock by more than three years in just eight weeks by making the following lifestyle upgrades that repair and prevent DNA damage that ages you prematurely.
1. Adopt a plant-centered diet (include turmeric). Limit intake of nutrient-dense animal proteins (we say, choose salmon). Restrict carbs and adopt an intermittent fasting pattern of 10 to 12 hours on (eating while the sun is up) and 12 to 14 hours off (the time between dinner and breakfast). Take a Lactobacillus plantarum probiotic (it helps to positively alter gene expression in folks with diabetes).
2. Get a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise five days a week at 60% to 80% of your maximum perceived exertion (you be the judge).
3. Practice breathing exercises for 20 minutes, twice a day. One study found that doing that for 60 days measurably reduced DNA damage.
4. Aim for seven hours of restful sleep nightly.
Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of "The Dr. Oz Show," and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer Emeritus at Cleveland Clinic.
(c)2021 Michael Roizen, M.D.
and Mehmet Oz, M.D.
King Features Syndicate