Who isn’t afraid of getting old? People spend their entire lives trying to find the fountain of youth and prolong life.
But as you know, death comes for everyone eventually. If you’re like most people, you accept that and don’t try to do too much research to learn more.
Besides, people know they should exercise more and eat less yet most people are constantly eating fast food and watching Netflix instead of exercising.
But what if there was a way to put your old beliefs aside and learn how to stop yourself from getting older?
The Science of Cells That Never Get Old
So can you really stop aging? Yes and no, according to expert biologist Elizabeth Blackburn. She talks more about it in her epic TED Talk, “The science of cells that never get old.”
The talk gets very in-depth on the science of aging and stress. It’s a bit complicated so here’s a quick summary if you don’t have time for the 20-minute video.
Elizabeth studied the DNA known as chromosomes, specifically telomeres. At the end of the chromosome are known as telomeres.
- In her research, she found that chromosome wear and tear is inevitable in the duplication process of cells. But she found that some cells called Tetrahymena never get old and die like the others.
- She found that stress was the biggest indicator of the shortening of these chromosomes.
- Main point → More stress, equals more destruction of chromosomes which means the quicker you’ll meet the grim reaper.
Again this is very simplified but it shows the power of stress on your body. And most people live in a common state of stress all the time. Even little worries like getting mad at traffic or frustrated with people on social media is a stress.
The key to a long and healthy life is one with less stress. Here’s how you can do it.
Reduce Stress in Your Life
The study found that there most people deal with stress in two ways. The first gets upset, thinks negatively, and sees stress as a threat. The second group of people see a stressful situation as a challenge and actually get energy from it. Instead of getting mad or angry they get energized to find a solution.
To act more like the second group you need to have the right habits and routines to set yourself up for success. Use these tricks to stay prepared for inevitable stressful situations.
- Exercise: Spend at least 30 minutes per day exercising. This will help keep cortisol levels low and stay energized.
- Eat Healthy Foods: High fat, high carb foot will rob you of energy and make it hard for your body to process everything. Try and meal prep to avoid the temptation of cheap and easy to access fast food.
- Disconnect from Social Media: Those social media arguments and political debates aren’t helping your stress and anxiety levels. Minimize social media to minimize unnecessary stress in your life.
- Meditate: Disconnect from the world with meditation.
on a regular basis. I promise you’ll feel better and enjoy the time away from the screens.
Hopefully, this Ted talk will give you the inspiration to start helping you cope with stress better in your life. Remember, more stress equals a quicker demise.
Quit worrying about the small stuff and start the habits that will help you live a long, healthy, and prosperous life.
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