Who Wants to Live Forever?

FOREO’s GP and aesthetics doctor, Dr. Raj Arora, busts some myths and facts about longevity.   

What does longevity mean? 

At its most basic, longevity is simply a term for anything relating to life expectancy. It refers to a human's "maximum life span," and the number of years any human lives for from birth to death.  When it comes to human longevity, there are a number of factors that affect our life expectancy and these traditionally fall into two categories. First, there are the things that we have no control over genetics, gender, and ethnicity. Then there are those things that we as individuals do have over. These are things like diet, exercise, hygiene, sleep patterns, and lifestyle choices.  The factors that we can control include our sleep patterns, level of physical activity (exercise), diet, and also our stress levels. Our individual behaviors, attitudes, choices, and lifestyle have quite a significant impact on our longevity. Many studies have suggested that less than 6 hours of sleep per night could reduce lifespan. Similarly, high levels of stress and reduced physical activity have also been shown to have a negative impact on longevity. In my private GP/aesthetic clinic there is a lot of focus on well-being and self-care. I try to empower all of my patients into taking control of their own health. 

Living for longer

People want to live longer lives, especially if they can live a healthy meaningful longer life. Health and wellness practices and access to cutting-edge technology mean that there is a way to preserve good health and focus on feeling and looking good for your age. New practices and evidence for these are available more and more. Longevity practices focus on living a life focused on the well-being and ultimately that’s what allows one to be able to continue with the things that they enjoy - sports, family time, traveling, and feeling well! https://www.foreo.com/mysa/5-tips-for-improving-your-well-being/ I think “turn back the clock” is an unrealistic term. I feel that longevity is more about living well for longer. There should be a sense of quality and well-being to one’s life whereby they are able to enjoy life and aging well is a part of that. We age at a cellular level and these processes take place from the moment we are born so we physically cannot reverse this cellular aging. There are of course studies and research in place looking at how this can be achieved but I believe we are way off that just yet! It's challenging to give an exact number by how many years someone can extend their life, but studies have shown that overall high levels of well-being (taking into consideration a number of factors) can add anywhere between 4-10 years to one’s life and reduce mortality risk by around 19 %. 

Healthy aging 

 Some biohacking practices like cryotherapy may help to improve longevity. Numerous studies have indicated a reduction in oxidative stress and inflammation which may indirectly affect the aging process of the skin and body. At my clinic -  The Facebible Clinic, we are lucky enough to have access to a state-of-the-art cryo unit situated within The Spa (Spa at Fairmont Windsor Park Hotel), and often patients/clients will use the cryotherapy unit and come back feeling energized and rejuvenated! https://www.foreo.com/mysa/how-does-blood-flow-affect-your-skin/ Wearable techs, like Oura rings and fitness trackers, certainly have a place in the market. Especially during the coronavirus era where there is a significant focus on well-being. I think devices like these initiate a sense of motivation by physically having a presence that serves as a reminder to carry out the exercise, to review sleep patterns and to alert us to observations such as heart rate. Knowledge and information translate into power, so I feel that wearable tech devices allow us to be more in tune with ourselves. By empowering individuals to make a change - I feel like they can help to improve longevity.

Longevity practices

There are many steps that can be taken, the main ones are:

1. healthy eating habits - adopt a Mediterranean-type diet. Grilled fish/meat and vegetables. Opt for complex carbohydrates where possible over simple carbs. Incorporate beans, lentils, and whole grains, and try to limit refined sugars.
2. Physical exercise at least 30 mins a day - Get active!
3. Stop smoking!
4. Lose weight if you are overweight. Obesity and overweight can increase the risk of heart disease and cancer
5. Reduce stress and manage blood pressure