Anti-ageing through the eyes of a naturopath

How I tailor naturopathic treatment for anti-ageing, biohacking, longevity and increasing health-span:

Let’s talk “anti-ageing” through my naturopathic lens and find out why this might resonate with you too.  You might have heard of BioHacking, Longevity, Healthspan and the Blue Zones?  All are concepts related to healthy ageing and how to achieve it.

What is ageing – it’s the decline over time of the functioning of the body.  We can’t avoid it but research shows that there are approaches to slow it down.

When you hear the term ‘Anti-ageing’ you might think of cosmetic treatments like face creams, lasers and surgery.  I am not against these approaches but what I think is really much more important is the concept of improving your “Healthspan”.  No use looking a million dollars on the outside if you’re not working well on the inside.  Why not have both?

What do I mean by “Healthspan”?

Healthspan means working to delay all the unpleasant chronic health conditions that happen in the natural ageing process, allowing you to live an active, full and meaningful life for as long as possible.  Does that sound like a good idea to you?

There is a huge growing movement of experts and enthusiasts – doctors, researchers, naturopaths, and other Biohackers who research and trial the many facets of exactly this – how to stay healthier and enjoy your life for longer.  Biohackers may use technology, for example, to optmise health, cognition and longevity.  As a “naturopath biohacker” I use complementary and naturopathic medicine approaches to work towards those goals. 

How does Naturopathic Biohacking work?

The first step in the process is reducing risk factors that increase the likelihood of chronic disease occurring. I start with diet and lifestyle and then add in complementary medicines to address the underlying drivers of age-related disease.

Have you heard of “modifiable risk factors” of disease? There are factors that predispose us all to increased risk of chronic disease. If we take charge of the ones that we can change, then we can decrease our risk of getting sick. 

Here are some examples of modifiable lifestyle risk factors and the chronic diseases associated:  

Changing these lifestyle choices:

Stop smoking and vaping

Reduce alcohol

Eat nutritious foods

Reduce toxin exposure

Find your tribe – get connected with people

Reduce or better manage your stress

Can decrease your risk for these age associated conditions:

Diabetes, cancers, cardiovascular diseases, lung diseases, cognitive decline, hormonal related imbalances and overall ill-health. These are diseases that make us feel miserable and fatiged with decreased participation in life. Why not take steps to optimise our health instead?

What can you do to support positive ageing?

1.    Reduce the toxic load that contributes to cell damage – reduce smoking and vaping, reduce alcohol intake, choose organic foods without pesticides and reduce the chemical load from cleaning products and cosmetics.

2.   Reduce sugar and refined carbohydrates which negatively influence body systems leading you down the path of chronic disease.

3.   Find your exercise vibe – find the way that you can love your exercise, at least a bit, and move.  This is perhaps the most researched way to increase your longevity and increase your muscle mass!

4.   Add more foods! Yes, add more foods that provide high levels of nutrients, that are unprocessed and be creative about finding ways that you enjoy them. Use spices, herbs, vegetables, fruits and make sure you are getting enough protein to provide the building blocks your body needs.

5.   Reduce or manage stress. The perception of stress plays a huge role in our health. High levels of stress contribute to poor health. This is a big topic and there are times when our life situations are full of grief or huge trauma. In this situation seeking professional assistance is advisable. In less traumatic situations many clients find practising meditation techniques builds the “stress-resistance-muscle” of the brain just like regular exercise builds physical muscle. For others it might look like finding engaging activities, increasing exercise and getting better sleep. Complementary health care can offer many effective solutions for supporting “stress”.

What can I do to support your positive ageing?

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Book a consultation to assess your health strengths and weakness and receive a personalised, targeted treatment plan to improve your current health and biohack your ageing.  There are so many effective nutrients, herbs and recently newly emerging nutraceutical products that can boost your body’s functioning, work on the hallmarks of ageing, provide epigenetic nutrients and support optimal health. You might have heard of Coenzyme Q10 which declines with age and is vital for the mitochondria of cells, a bit like the cells’ battery power. Curcurmin and resveratrol support healthy genes and are anti-inflammatory. Herbs that can support cognition and reduce brain fog are known as nootropics. Adaptogenic herbs can boost immunity and support the body’s recovery and energy. All of these can contribute to improved health span.

Living a relatively pain-free, active and interesting life for as long as you can, minimising the discomforts of chronic age-related diseases is the aim.  This is why I love helping clients to modify risk factors and change their unhelpful habits to healthier options, address the underlying drivers of chronic disease, improve nutrition to support healthy cells and support tolerance to stress.

Health is your wealth and you are likely to find that by supporting your inner health your outer self will naturally glow.

Feel free to send me an email at info@loubodycombnaturopathy.com.au if you would like to know more.

References available by request.