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That’s right,

Growing Old Shouldn’t

Suck! But damn if it doesn’t for a whole lotta folks. And there’s no sense

in it.

The world wide webz has convoluted everything to the point of

absolute total confusion. The “Wizard of Oz” says I should do this. But my co-worker that’s really into fitness and runs triathlon’s heard just the opposite. And then I saw this infomercial that

said…

STOP! Just stop it. Living life in a healthy manner isn’t difficult. If it were, then how in the world did our ancestors manage to live

beyond 40?

This surprisingly simple, yet EXTREMELY USEFUL blueprint is guaranteed to free your mind and clear your senses of all the

muck that’s out there.

Bryan Adair agelesshq.com

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Index

Introduction

Fit Over 40

What Is Sarcopenia

6 Pillars of Complete Fitness

How Should You Exercise

The Importance of Low Intensity Exercise

Easy Nutrition

Stress

Sleep

Summary

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Introduction

Anti-Aging; It's Not What You Think

It seems that with each passing decade, or maybe generation, we become more and more focused on our outward appearance as we age.

The first thought when discussing ant-aging is somewhere in the ballpark of reducing wrinkles, saggy skin, or coloring your hair/beard to get rid of the

grey. A more extreme example is Botox or plastic surgery.

That's all well and good. After all, who doesn't like hearing compliments about how young you look?

Alas, none of those things do anything to slow down the aging process.

Neither do they even help you age successfully or healthier. They are nothing more than a cover up. A completely superficial, and dare I say

egotistical, way of doing nothing more than helping the individual appear to look younger.

As an aside; my wife would argue that our western society has created a mindset that women must forever look young. Things like husbands,

boyfriends, jobs, getting out of speeding tickets, etc. are heavily dependent on how young and attractive she looks. As a man, I can't

debate that point with her. Nor would I want to, as I expect she's the expert on that. This blueprint isn't about that. I just wanted to throw

that out there before I started getting hate mail from the lady folk reading this.

Successful aging starts on the inside and works its way outward. Everything

from the food you eat, to the thoughts you think, to the movements you make, to the rest you get, to the stress you release, and stuff in between

that's too boring and sciencey to write out.

FACT #1; you are going to age.

FACT #2; you control HOW you age.

You can age UNsuccessfully, and it's not hard to do. We're surrounded with delicious tasting, processed foods full of that sugary sweetness. If my

choices are between those double stuffed Oreo's and grilled chicken with a heaping side of veggies, well, I'd much rather gobble those Oreo's. That's a

no-brainer for this fella. As for exercise, with NetFlix and hundreds of channels on the satellite

covering any genre my little heart desires, I could just as easily call up a "House of Cards" marathon while I inhale those Oreo's.

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OR

You can age successfully, if you simply take care of your body.

It's the only one you're going to get. Eat right, get some quality physical exercise (no, that doesn't necessarily mean going to the gym), sleep well

and get enough of it, love, laugh, exercise your brain (watching TV is not part of a mental exercise program), and get outside in the sunshine.

Healthy aging isn't rocket science. You don't need to buy books filled with

"new anti-aging secrets" or studies that have "recently revealed" something we've been missing all along. The fact is, there's nothing new under the sun

when it comes to healthy aging.

Scientific studies do nothing more than prove the very basic things we've known all along. Sure, they use fancy words and new terms to sell their

results. But when those results are broken down to the most common

denominator, it turns out to be the same ol' same ol'.

No, you don't have to totally abandon the Oreo's and TV series marathons in lieu of broccoli and exercise. You've gotta live life and enjoy all it has to

offer. You just need to be smart about it.

Most folks aren't as geeky or nerdy as I am when it comes to reading studies and digging into the science of how the human body works. They just want

the action steps. Give them the marching orders, and as long as it isn't too difficult, they'll take action. No explanation needed.

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Fit Over 40

I've learned many things over the years with regard to overall health, fitness and properly training my body. A lot of self-experimentation has led to some

sobering revelations.

The biggest of revelations is the fact that my young man's mentality tends to get my older man's body into trouble.

Trust me when I say that it actually hurts my feelings to even say those

words. But I digress.

The main thing we must keep in mind as we age and continue to workout, is this classic quote;

"if you take care of your body, your body will take care of you"

What does that mean exactly?

In fitness, it means workout according to your actual abilities rather than

your desired abilities. Do proper warm-ups and cool downs. Stretch properly. And get a good balance of training methods like strength, endurance/cardio,

balance, and mobility. Be well rounded.

In nutrition, it means feed your body unprocessed food rather than

processed. Don’t stress your digestive system out by overeating. Eat foods that provide your body with all the nutrients it needs to function at peak

levels. Your immune system will be strong and efficient. Your blood pressure and all the other blood markers will be at optimum levels. Your hormones

will automatically be balanced. Basically, everything will work as God intended.

Suffice it to say, hindsight's 20/20. Unfortunately for me, I've learned some very valuable lessons the hard way. And I’m certain you have too. At our

age it would be hard not to have learned something the hard way.

That’s why I wanted to write this blueprint. Not everyone is “into” health and

nutrition like I am. Many want to improve their health but they end up being

very confused with all the back and forth about what’s good and what’s not.

This blueprint will clear things up for you. I’m going to explain things. But in

the end I’ll summarize it all up very nice and to the point.

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Fitness with Purpose

The Blue Zones are areas of the world where people live measurably longer lives. Naturally these areas have been studied extensively to find out what

these people do that increases their longevity. The data has been compiled and all common markers identified. There are 6 common characteristics

among all Blue Zones. One of those characteristics is "constant moderate physical activity".

Nothing too strenuous. Just constantly moving around or doing some sort of

physical activity. Anything from gardening to walking most everywhere to

just squatting instead of sitting.

Gym memberships aren’t the norm for these folks.

Working out to achieve certain physical goals and/or to compete in

competition is a wonderful thing. I can't imagine a world with no competition.

But you must keep your eye on the ultimate prize. The prize of a long and

healthy life.

For everything you do, there's a reason. This is a concept that often gets skewed a bit when we start thinking about our fitness, or the ever popular

resolution of "getting back into shape". We tend to think with short term goals. Things like losing weight, running a 5k, or getting back to your old

strength levels, tend to be the main goals. And those are excellent goals I

might add.

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The problems start with one thing. A lack of patience.

Today, we’re a "want it now" crowd. With billions of dollars spent every year on weight loss supplements and anything else that promises instant success.

But unlike taking weight loss pills for instant weight loss, trying to get back into shape too quickly can easily lead to injury. It could be a chronic injury

that develops over the course of a few weeks. Or it could lead to an instant injury like a torn or pulled muscle.

You should set goals and have a purpose for your fitness training. However,

your goals and purpose should be centered on longevity and total health. Sure you workout to get immediate results. Stuff like looking better nekkid,

or to slim down for an upcoming wedding or class reunion. But you need to play it smart and keep your eye on your ultimate goal, health and longevity.

This goes beyond the traditional "working out" or a typical "exercise" regimen. It applies to a slew of activities. When you've been sedentary for a

prolonged period of time, your muscles become weak and tight, joints and bones also deteriorate and become weak. Therefore, sedentary folks should

wade carefully into the "more movement" waters.

Your body will adapt quickly. It'll even thank, and reward, you with feelings of euphoria. But patience is the word of the day when getting that body

moving again.

The Bottom Line

Train smart and move with purpose. Whatever you do for activity, do it with the knowledge that it's going to improve your life for the long haul. Not just

for your upcoming reunion. And be patient in all things.

Balance your approach to exercise and fitness. Doing too much high

intensity exercise will jack up your stress.

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What Is Sarcopenia and Why You Should Prevent It

Also known as age related muscle loss, sarcopenia is brutal. Our muscles are constantly changing, for better or worse. If we use our muscles they'll

continue to stay strong and resilient. Unfortunately, too many of us in mid-life are laying down on the job. And it only gets worse from there.

We're laying down on the job of healthy living. In today's advanced world we

no longer need to farm for food. We no longer need to walk up or down a flight of stairs. Technology has made life so easy that we can practically get

away without doing any physical labor of any kind all day long.

Muscle loss in your early 30's isn't a huge concern. Typically 30 somethings

are still active enough, and are young enough, that they're still plugging away without noticing any problems.

However, your 30's is where muscle loss begins. If you're physically inactive,

you can lose as much as 3 -5% of your muscle mass per decade after the age of 30(1).

No Fun Zone

Losing your muscle mass and strength takes a vicious toll on your quality of

life. It takes you down the rabbit hole of a life in the "No Fun Zone".

By going down this rabbit hole, one thing leads to another. It begins with

experiencing aches and pains. That causes you to want to do even less than you're already doing. After all, doing stuff hurts. And who wants more pain

and discomfort?

Next thing you know, and you know how fast time can fly, you're having balance issues. You start gaining weight, or more weight. You get sick easier

and the sickness takes a bigger toll than it used to. Your sleep quality suffers. Just to name a few of the possibilities.

Lack of activity is a big contributor to obesity, high blood pressure, high

cholesterol, heart disease, and has been linked to several other illnesses (2, 3).

In general, you just feel like a pile of BLAH!

And that's just in your 40's and 50's. It's even worse in your 60's and beyond. If you let that snowball continue down the hill, you're destined for a

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life of dependency in a nursing home. And that, my young friends, is seriously the "No Fun Zone"! I don’t care how much you love BINGO.

Preventing Sarcopenia

As with all things health related, preventing sarcopenia is a multi-faceted

process. It'll take good nutrition and proper exercise. I'm not talking about some in-depth type of formula that's confusing. It's simple really.

Reasonably speaking, you can prevent sarcopenia by staying active with

things that require strength. Activities like walking, gardening, or even jogging are great for your heart and lungs. But do very little to prevent

muscle loss.

You must engage in activities that require strength. Obviously, getting in the

gym for traditional weight lifting is on the list of acceptable activities.

But you can also do traditional bodyweight exercises and get the same

benefit. Movements like pushups and bodyweight squats, just to name two, are fantastic examples.

If lifting weights or typical "exercise" isn't in your wheelhouse of joy, you

have other options.

You can build something significant. Something that would have you lifting heavy stuff, using a hammer, pushing, and or pulling.

You could go for a hike on some local trails and do something unusual like

pick up and move random rocks. You can play tennis, golf, or most any other sport that requires quick movements and power.

Your activities should include these type movements; running - sometimes sprinting, pushing, pulling, jumping, crawling, and climbing.

If you include all those movements in your weekly activity routine you

shouldn't have any trouble keeping age related muscle loss at bay.

There’s a nutrition component to this as well. Muscle needs protein to maintain itself. Without sufficient protein your body's muscle will suffer.

Protein; If it had a mother, then it’s a protein. Also, there are plant

sources but that’s a topic all to itself.

Many of us in today's world don't eat enough protein. I see this mostly in women. Men tend to be more of a "meat and potatoes" kind of group.

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To maintain, and build, muscle, as well as hormonal balance, women should

eat a minimum of 45g/day and men 55g/day. And that’s a MINIMUM.

The bottom line to preventing age related muscle loss is simply this; perform proper activity that requires strength and eat adequate amounts of protein.

That's it. Everything else will fall into place on its own.

This doesn't have to be some, mind blowing, and overly complicated thing.

Too often health and fitness goo-roos want to make this stuff sound hard. They want to put some complicated twist in there to make you think they're

on to something "revolutionary". If you’ll buy their book, they'll reveal the secret the ancient Romans had locked away that Indiana Jones just brought

back to save us all.

Then, when you read it, you discover that they’ve done nothing more than

put a twist on the same basic advice. Nothing groundbreaking at all.

6 Pillars of Complete Fitness

There are 6 areas of fitness that you should include in your lifestyle fitness regimen. You don't need to work on each these continuously or on a weekly

basis. But I highly recommend you work on them at least once per month.

First, I want to define fitness. Many, if not most, people think of lifting weights or treadmills in the gym when they hear the word "fitness". I need

to clear that picture.

Fitness; the condition of being physically fit and healthy, the quality of being able to fulfill a particular role or task.

Pillar #1; Strength

I'm certain you know your body begins to lose muscle somewhere in your 30's. After all, I did just discuss it in the above section labeled “sarcopenia”.

There will be some decline over the years. But you can minimize that decline

to very insignificant amounts.

You minimize it by lifting heavy stuff. You can also go to the gym for a

weightlifting session. Or you can opt for a bodyweight only program. The key is to do something that requires your muscles to work harder than they're

capable of. If you don't push them beyond their limits then they have no reason to adapt and get stronger.

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The benefits of strength training are far and wide. Keeping those muscles strong helps maintain lean body mass and greatly aids in fat loss.

It improves your bone density and serves to stabilize your joints. Keeping

your strength has a direct impact on the remaining 5 pillars of complete fitness.

It also reduces your risks of many diseases. I'm talking about the heavy

hitters like cancer, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

Other benefits include chronic conditions like;

● Arthritis

● Diabetes

● Osteoporosis

● Obesity

● Back pain

● Depression

Pillar #2; Endurance

Defined in Wikipedia, Endurance is the ability of an organism to exert itself

and remain active for a long period of time, as well as its ability to resist, withstand, recover from, and have immunity to trauma, wounds, or fatigue.

After a definition like that is there anything else that needs to be said?

If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough. ~Albert

Einstein

Sure, I wasn't the one explaining it. But why add something that doesn't

need to be added. Besides, who doesn't love Einstein quotes?

Pillar #3; Flexibility

A lot of folks overlook the importance of flexibility. Another way to look at this pillar would be to say “good range of motion”. And the latest buzzword

associated with it would be "functional".

Possessing good flexibility is essential for quality of life.

More than simply bending over to touch your toes, you should have complete range of motion over your whole body. Tasks like bending over,

squatting, lifting something overhead, scratching your back, stooping, and twisting all require good range of motion. If you don't have that, your risk of

injury increases. Every time you engage in an activity like that, it puts you

at risk of tearing or pulling a muscle or tendon.

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Pillar #4; Power

Power is the product of speed and strength. It determines how quickly you

can produce a force to generate the desired movement.

For example, you trip over a stick while walking across your yard. You have the strength to keep upright and not fall down. And you have the speed to

move your feet into a position of better balance. But it's power that determines how quickly you "catch" yourself. Without the power, you'll find

yourself on the ground.

Unfortunately, we lose power more rapidly than we lose strength as we age. Moving quickly just isn't something we do in our 40's, 50's and beyond. But

it should be. At least once per week. The fact that we don’t is one of the reasons falls are more prevalent in older folks. They lack the power to make

the necessary movements to prevent it.

Pillar #5; Agility and Coordination (A & C)

This is your ability to move your body quickly with efficiency and with accuracy. Having these skills in your Ageless toolbox will keep you feeling

spry and energetic. You’ll be able to leap puddles of water in parking lots, hop onto curbsides just for the fun of it, play soccer with your grandkids, or

contort your body like Neo from the matrix while squirming away from some goober trying to steal your double stuffed Oreo. You’ll be able to do all that

without fear or consequence of falling down and hurting yourself or others.

Bonus; A & C training has also been shown to improve your brain’s cognitive

skills.

Pillar #6; Balance

Why, oh why, do we neglect our balance skill? Being able to maintain your

balance is a key factor for injury reduction. Most of us have at least a little

bit of balance skill. But go just a tad beyond walking, standing up, and getting in and out of the car and things start to get sketchy.

Poor balance easily reduces quality of life. Without being too wordy and technical, balance is full body inclusive. Everything from your eyes to your

toes plays a role.

You may never again need to climb a tree or run around in a friendly game

of tag, or play hop-scotch.

But you’ll probably encounter some slick surfaces while walking or running,

get shoved to the side in a crowded area, or want to show junior your dance moves at a wedding.

You must have good balance for good quality of life.

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How You Should Exercise

All or nothing? Intensity that is.

Go hard or go home?

Hit it hard?

Slow cardio on the treadmill?

Elliptical?

For years now the commercialized fitness industry has been leading everyone to believe that High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is the “one

size fit all” method for weight loss.

Notice I said “weight loss”. I point that out for a couple reasons.

**First, I’m somewhat in that camp myself. As far as weight loss is concerned, it’s been my experience that no other method is even a close

second.

**Second, weight loss is only part of the story. And with regard to your

longevity, weight loss is a small part of the total sum.

When you do high intensity interval training you’re working your anaerobic

system.

The anaerobic system is also known as the “fight or flight” system. It’s the one that kicks in when you feel like you’re in danger or surprised, among

other things.

Your heart rate increases, as does your blood pressure, and adrenaline. Your

body is preparing itself for survival. Either fight for your life, or run for it. Regardless of your choice, the same thing is happening internally.

When the threat is over you’re left with a body that’s been stressed and needs to recover. That recovery process includes adapting to the situation

that just created the stress.

It’s that recovery process that’s crucial to progress. Your health and fitness

improvements aren’t made during your workout time. They’re made during all the other times you aren’t working out or exercising.

A proper fitness regimen should include high intensity interval and strength training and very low intensity aerobic training.

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The Importance of Low Intensity Aerobic Training

Your body’s aerobic system exists to provide long term energy to your body

by burning it’s fat stores. Fat is a more reliable and plentiful energy source. It also helps your body recover from anaerobic activities like high intensity

interval training (HIIT).

If your aerobic system is underdeveloped then you’ll have a difficult time

recovering from highly intense activities. Needless to say, you don’t want that.

When you do activities that require you to work hard, become exhausted, and expend a lot of strength (aka; anaerobic work) your body produces

cortisol - the stress hormone. In other, less scientific words, you get

stressed out.

It’s your aerobic system that removes that stress and helps you recover.

When you’re stressed out, your body is in a sugar burning, anaerobic condition with an elevated heart rate and blood pressure. It may only be a

mild elevation. Perhaps even unnoticeable. But elevated all the same.

Remember, it’s the aerobic system that burns fat.

If this condition continues day after day and then week after week, your body begins to rely on sugar more and more for energy. And it burns less

fat.

This is the main reason it’s so difficult for folks to lose weight when they’re

stressed out.

Your body’s aerobic, fat burning system is designed and purposed for

longevity. Not just long duration activities. But longevity for the long haul, i.e. the rest of your life

Failing to do activities that improve your aerobic system will be detrimental to your overall health and longevity.

Over time your body will begin breaking down. Your immune system will become impaired, your soft tissues and joints will weaken, and your

hormones can get out of balance. Oxidative stress builds up causing free

radical damage which leads to premature aging.

I don’t say all that to sound like a fear-monger. Rather to stress the

importance of doing activities that are aerobic in nature. Doing that will lead

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to significant improvements in your health, fitness, and quality of life for all the years to come.

The major trend of fitness programs constantly being thrown in your face is all about working harder. You see it everywhere, from the “biggest loser”

reality show to the P90X and Insanity infomercials to the Crossfit cult-ure.

The fact is, those types of workouts are physiologically brutal on your body.

Of course they’re brutal during the workout. But the result of that type of beat down is all sorts of internal damage going on that MUST be remedied.

Failing to give your body time to recover and de-stress has consequences.

Regardless of the root cause, stress is stress. And in small doses with proper

recovery that’s a good thing. Your body adapts, overcomes, and grows stronger and will be better equipped to handle stressful situations as a

result.

But if you fail to let your body recover then you’ll go from being acutely

stressed to chronically stressed. That results in a suppressed immune system that’s vulnerable to a host of chronic inflammatory illnesses and

autoimmune conditions. [1, 2, 3]

For that reason, the first step in every smart health and fitness plan is to build a good aerobic base. Later on incorporating strength training and HIIT

workouts will be a welcome addition to your Ageless Blueprint.

Bottom Line for How to Exercise

Eat well and be sure to include enough healthy protein. Build a good aerobic base. Exercise your muscles. Do some high intensity interval activities once

per week. Work on maintaining and improving your balance every day.

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Easy Nutrition

Eating food is our biggest blessing and our biggest curse. Food is delicious.

Food is a must during social gatherings. Food is a dear friend that will never judge.

Food makes us happy. It certainly makes me happy.

If we eat the right type of food, and in the correct quantities, it will keep us healthy and strong for all our years of existence.

How ironic it is that the very thing that brings us so much joy can also bring

us so much pain and sickness at the same time.

In this regard I'm speaking of those that are overweight and struggling with

illnesses like heart disease, high blood pressure, Type II diabetes, high

cholesterol, etc.

It can heal and it can kill. Maybe I should say it does heal and it does kill.

Hippocrates famous quote is as true today as it was then; Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.

Today's media and marketing has really mucked up the nutrition waters.

Every fitness trainer and every nutritionist wants to tell you a different story. The story about how they've discovered the secret to weight loss, healing

high cholesterol, reducing high blood pressure, etc.

That story also includes the fact that "it's not your fault" and the very scary

repercussions you’ll face if you don't follow their advice and ultimately… buy their book and/or training package.

Good nutrition is really simple. It's so simple, in fact, it can be summed up in

7 words.

"Eat food, not too much, mostly plants"

That's a quote from Michael Pollan.

He's written several books about nutrition and appeared in a couple documentaries as well. No, I don't think he's the be-all-end-all. I just love

the concept and simplicity of those 7 words.

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Even though the statement is simple, I’d like to explain it a little. Mainly because too many times folks think it’s advocating a vegetarian diet. And

that’s not the case at all.

But first I want to state something for you to keep in mind. This section is

not a weight loss guide. I do believe the majority of folks reading it can lose weight by following the principles and guidelines.

However, the intent is overall good health and longevity. Naturally a healthy body weight goes along with good health and longevity. I just wanted to be

clear in that this is not a weight loss diet by design.

Eat Food

The first two words, eat food, seem obvious. Just eat food right? Not exactly. The intended meaning is to eat REAL food. Food that has only itself as the

lone ingredient. Of course there are those that want to argue the concept of "real food" and say all food is real. I'm not going to get into semantics here

and debate that processed food isn't real food.

We should all be old enough to see and understand that eating whole foods

are simply better for our health than processed ones. Whole foods naturally

contain the necessary ingredients for our bodies to thrive. All the proteins, carbs, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes are right there. Not

only are they loaded with those nutrients, but because it's natural rather than processed or created, our bodies are fully capable of absorbing all those

nutrients. Often times the nutrients in processed foods cannot be absorbed. There are a number of reasons for that. Reasons such as inappropriate

ratios, certain elements required for absorption are missing, or the nutrient is rendered unusable during processing.

Not Too Much

This one is straight to the point. No semantics here. Whatever you decide to

eat, eat it in moderation. We're creatures of excess and marketing wizards know exactly how to take advantage of that weakness. They use tactics like;

Buy 1 - Get 1 Free (or 1/2 price), Super-Size It, and King Size products. Restaurants serve huge portions of low cost items like pasta, bread, and

fries to give you that feeling of value.

We're told as kids that we have to clean our plate before we can get desert. That sounds reasonable considering the fact that kids would definitely skip

the healthy food if they could get straight to the sweet stuff. The problem here is that we adults can't know if the kid's actually full and satisfied. The

result is they are forced to stuff themselves just to get the tasty treat they've been craving.

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Here's another fact. We rave about and recommend any restaurant that serves huge portions of food. The bigger the better. On the flip side, if a

restaurant were to serve you an actual recommended serving size of food you couldn’t complain to enough people. I hear this all the time. In fact,

since I've started listening for it, I've never heard a friend discuss their dining out experience without mentioning portion sizes.

But wait, what about all those diets that say I’ll never be hungry and I can eat as much as I want?

I’m glad you asked.

You can do exactly that. As long as you’re following the next part of the rule

which is “mostly plants”. You should feel free to eat as many plants as you can shove down your throat. Provided you aren’t covering them in calorie

laden sauces or dressings.

The slick marketing of a diet fails to give you that detail when they’re telling

you about how full you’ll feel eating all the delicious food.

The foods you must limit are the calorie heavy, nutritionally light, processed

foods.

It's perfectly okay to eat whatever you want. Just do so in moderation and everything will be just fine.

Mostly Plants

I'm not suggesting that you start a more vegetarian lifestyle. Nor am I

suggesting that meat is bad for you. I eat meat and have no intention of giving it up. It's too tasty and it offers significant health benefits.

In studies of the world's healthiest groups of people, they discovered a semi-vegetarian theme. Meat of all types is consumed. But they ate significantly

more fruits and vegetables than the average person.

I've read a lot of health books, studies, and articles regarding nutrition and

they all recommend eating the bulk of my food from vegetables. From Arnold Schwarzenegger to the USDA, everyone agrees.

Bottom Line

Natalie Babbitt said "Like all magnificent things, it's very simple".

You don't need another diet book to tell you how to eat. You only need to

realize that your body needs real, whole foods.

You need sufficient protein from sources such as fish, beef, bird, and legumes.

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Eat healthy fats from meat, plants, nuts, and seeds.

Eat wholesome, minimally processed grains and oats. To sweeten things use local, unprocessed, raw honey. Caution; do not give that honey to

infants under 12 months old.

Eat those things in moderation. And begin eliminating the cheaply produced,

highly processed, nutrient poor, and calorically dense foods.

Following a diet like this will lead to a very healthy body. In turn you'll notice

a slew of side effects like improved mood, sleep, complexion, lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, more energy, fat loss, improved hormone

regulation, and an overall feeling of well-being.

It really is that simple.

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Stress

Stress (aka; Cortisol in the hormone world) is a natural part of our life. It's responsible for a slew of processes in your body. For example, cortisol is at

its highest level 30 - 60 minutes after waking. It's what helps get you going in the morning. It's also your body's way of protecting you. In the right

amounts, it reduces inflammation and keeps your immune system running smoothly, among other things.

Ever hear of hydrocortisone? That's the synthetic form of cortisol. It's used

to reduce inflammation and skin irritations.

You don't normally hear it that way most of the time though. The common theme when talking about stress, is that it's a bad thing we need to manage

and reduce.

It's clear why no one ever talks about the positives, have you ever heard of

anyone struggling with too little stress? Have you ever heard anyone say "I'm bored, I need more stressors in my life"? Yeah, me neither.

How It Works For Us - Sciency Stuff

Cortisol is part of our basic survival toolkit. When your body faces a stressor

(such as trauma, emotional exhaustion, or severe calorie restriction), cortisol is produced from cholesterol and released by the hypothalamus.

Cortisol then pulls resources away from lower-priority system, such as the immune system, and spares available glucose for the brain, putting all

possible resources towards the immediate threat.

The fact is stress is both good and bad. Just as with most everything else,

moderation is the keyword here.

Good stress, called eustress, is a natural part of a healthy life. It's triggered anytime we feel excitement, our heartbeat increases, or we face a challenge.

It's what keeps us focused, determined, motivated to succeed, and resilient.

When you're faced with a challenge or obstacle, or even a fierce wildebeest, cortisol is produced to give you the shot of adrenaline you'll need to fight, or

flee, to come out alive and well on the other side. Once you've won, your body regulates and you adapt. You become more resilient because you've

faced a challenge and won. You adapt by gaining confidence in your physical and mental ability to overcome and control anything that life throws at you.

Bad stress, called distress, happens when we experience more stressors

than our body can regulate on a daily basis. When the stress isn't regulated

day after day, then week after week, your body releases cortisol constantly. And that's when things start going south.

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Have a look at the table below. I've grouped some of the common warning signs of chronic stress. If you can check off a lot of these symptoms as

related to yourself, then you're definitely in a state of stress overload.

Cognitive Symptoms Physical Symptoms

Memory problems

Inability to concentrate

Poor judgment

Seeing only the negative

Anxious or racing thoughts

Constant worrying

Aches and pains (e.g. headaches)

Diarrhea or constipation

Nausea, dizziness

Chest pain, rapid heartbeat

Loss of sex drive

Frequent colds

Emotional Symptoms Behavioral Symptoms

Moodiness

Irritability or short temper

Agitation, inability to relax

Feeling overwhelmed

Sense of loneliness and isolation

Depression or general unhappiness

Eating more or less

Sleeping too much or too little

Isolating yourself from others

Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities

Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax

Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing)

As if those problem aren't bad enough, if you don't take measures to manage and reduce your chronically elevated stress levels then have a look

at this list so you can see the more severe health problems you're headed toward.

● Hypertension (high blood pressure)

● Heart disease

● Digestive problems

● Sleep disorders

● Depression

● Weight problems

● Autoimmune diseases (hypothyroidism anyone?)

● Skin conditions (e.g. acne, eczema)

The straw that broke the camel's back. That's how stress is. Stuff keeps

happening faster than you can deal with it. Therefore it keeps piling up on you, one after another. Just like a camel carrying a load of straw. Depending

on the camel, it could carry a large, heavy load or only a small, light load. If you were to add more than it can handle, well - you'd break the camel's

back.

Similarly, some people can handle larger loads of stress than others. There are a number of different reasons for that. Too numerous to even bother

listing. The fact is, you know how well you deal with stress. You know how much you can handle or where your breaking point may be. The factors

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involved with folks being better equipped to handle stress than you are irrelevant. Mainly because you can't do much to change that.

But you can change how you manage the stress load you have. Learning

stress management techniques, regardless of how insignificant that technique may seem, will go a long way toward reducing your stress and

getting you "on the road to recovery".

How Chronic Stress Contributes To Premature Aging

Science has shown us that stress causes real physical changes in our body.

Ideally, we'll be exposed to the stress and then recover and adapt so we're prepared for it next time. The keywords are "recover and adapt". Without

being able to recover and adapt our bodies begin to break down at the most

basic of cellular levels. That means, little by little, our bodies are slowly breaking down under the constant pressure.

Here's a great illustration. Take a glass of water. It's not very heavy, maybe

a pound or 2. Hold it in your hand and stretch out your arm in front of you. In the beginning you can handle the task. But, little by little, the weight

becomes unbearable. It will eventually reach the point at which you can't possibly hold it any longer. Chronic stress is no different.

One way chronic stress contributes to premature aging is by shortening our

telomeres.

What is a Telomere? It's a cap at the end of each DNA strand that protects our chromosomes. It's also an essential part of our human cells that affects

how we age. [https://www.tasciences.com/what-is-a-telomere/]

Chronic stress shortens these telomeres. Once they become too short the

cells become weak, susceptible to damage, and eventually die.

Telomere shortening has been linked to Parkinson’s, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. I underlined "linked to" because I want to

be clear that the condition has not necessarily been shown to be a real

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contributing factor. Meaning that there's no proof that shortening of the telomere length directly leads to any of these debilitating diseases.

That would be very difficult to prove. But I still wanted to include it due to

the potential risk.

Our telomeres will wear down over time regardless of our lifestyle choices.

But it should be clear that if we are accelerating the shortening process then were are simultaneously accelerating our aging process.

The second way stress contributes to premature aging is much more general

and observational. It's a little something I call lifestyle factors.

When folks are stressed out they tend to do unhealthy things. Taking a glance back at the above list of symptoms you can see that a stressed out

guy or gal is likely going to lose sleep, overeat (or under eat), develop high

blood pressure, become sedentary, lose their joy, get sick more often, smoke, abuse drugs/alcohol, exercise poor judgement (hence the smoking

and drugs), etc. etc.

I guess you could say it's all a big revolving door of stress to unhealthy symptom to sickness to disease which leads to more stress and worry.

I’ve written a great deal about stress here simply because no one seems to

give it enough credit for the damage it does. More often folks give all the credit to the symptom rather than the root cause of the symptom.

For example, a stressed out individual that doesn't have time to grocery

shop and cook will find themselves grabbing fast food or eating out most of the time. They'll have convenience foods like Ramen noodles, mac & cheese,

and chips. They'll have rewarding, feel good foods like candy and ice cream.

They certainly don't have time to exercise. Eventually weight gain shows up to the party. Then maybe their cholesterol or blood pressure goes up.

From there, their doc prescribes meds to get the BP and cholesterol under

control. But the weight gain and sedentary lifestyle leads to type 2 diabetes.

The common health conditions (symptoms of chronic stress) were treated but the root cause lives on to continue breaking the body down.

What Can You Do?

Fortunately, there's an endless supply on the world wide web of tips, tricks, and hacks. Or, if you wanna go "old school" you could just ask the tootsie

pop owl for his advice.

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You simply need to find something that works for you and be strong enough to apply it. Strong enough and wise enough. Wise enough in the sense that

you recognize your need and you recognize what a tough process stress management is. Wise enough to choose a stress management tool that you

KNOW, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you can stick with forever.

How to manage your stress (Social workers call this self-care, google it for more ideas that customize stress reduction)

The very first step in tackling such a task is to make a list of about 5 - 10

options that you'd be fine with doing.

Next up is to choose ONE technique on that list that jumps out at you as

something you know with 100% confidence you can, and will, do every day for 1 week. The kind of thing that's scores an 11 on a scale of 1-10 in your

ability to do it.

For your convenience, I'm going to list out some of the most common stress management techniques right here.

● a relaxing walk (especially outside)

● being out in nature

● getting moderate sunshine

● listening to relaxing music

● mindfulness practice and meditation

● massage

● deep breathing

● laughing

● snuggling a loved one or pet ● yoga, gentle mobility, and/or slow stretching exercises

● relaxing in a sauna

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● having sex (seriously)

● physical, non-competitive play

● drinking green tea

Meditation

My personal favorite on that list is meditation. A lot of folks think meditation is hokey, or anti-Christian, or just too hippy-ish. The fact is, meditation has

no form, no strict rules or laws you must follow to reap the benefits. It is what you want it to be. Nothing more and nothing less.

I'm expounding on meditation because it's probably the most difficult option

on the list. Yet, it may very well be the option with the most benefits, or biggest bang for your buck.

I was very much opposed to meditation when I was first introduced to it. I thought I was too manly to be doing that girly hocus-pocus stuff. But as I

aged, my mind opened up to trying new things. I first looked into what I could possibly gain from meditating. Research on regular meditation shows

how incredibly restorative it is. The list is impressive. See below.

● lowers blood pressure

● lowers heart rate

● lowers stress hormones

● lowers inflammation

● boosts immune system

● improves focus, mental clarity and attention, even when not meditating

● improves mood

● improves sleep

Meditation may be as close to a magic pill as you're going to get. When done regularly, it can actually undo a great deal of damage.

For example, meditation can contribute to:

● neurogenesis (growth of new neural connections and brain cells)

● emotional regulation (in other words, your ability to manage your

feelings)

● memory and recall

● development of the brain’s gray matter (even after only a few weeks)

● our ability to regulate our body clock

So how do you actually go about doing it?

While people sometimes think of meditation as a super spiritual practice best

suited to monks and Buddhists. It’s actually pretty easy to do, and you don’t

have to look, or act, like an aging hippie, or shave your head to benefit from it.

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1. Find a comfortable, quiet, private place.

2. Sit or lie down, whatever seems most convenient. The position doesn’t

matter, as long as you’re relaxed.

3. Get a timer going. Set a timer for 3 minutes, and then forget about counting down how long it’s been. That’s your timer’s job. It’ll take

care of you.

4. Close your eyes.

5. Clear your mind by visualizing your breath as it travels into and out of your lungs. If your mind wanders, don't fret. That's normal in the

beginning. Just shake it off and get back to visualizing your breath as it travels.

▪ My wife’s meditation hack; “I keep a journal and pen next

to me and when thoughts occur that I’m afraid I’ll forget or that are distracting, I jot them down, and then I know I

won’t forget to get to them later, but I won’t continue being interrupted by them. I start the timer over and over

until no more thoughts need journaled, otherwise, they keep butting into my meditation”

6. Now, focus on your breathing. Develop a pattern such as in for 2

seconds, hold for 2 seconds, and out for 2 seconds. Breathe in through your diaphragm, pushing your belly out on the inhale and in on the

exhale. Observe how the air moves in and out.

7. Count 10 breaths, observing each one.

8. Let thoughts drift in and out. Let them wander in, then shoo them

away. They’ll be back. You don’t need to hold on to them.

9. If you think of something, no worries. If you hear a noise, or have an itch, no worries. Simply ignore it or scratch it; then move on.

10. Keep coming back to your breathing.

11. Repeat until your time is up.

12. Open your eyes.

That’s it. Sounds easy enough right?

The Bottom Line

I know that getting started with meditation can be difficult. I've been there. And I still find it challenging from time to time when I've got a lot going on.

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The very idea of stopping for a few minutes to "do absolutely nothing" seems unrealistic and pointless. Not to mention how tough it is to clear my

mind of every thought. Yes, it's a challenge.

But every time I push through those thoughts, reasons, and excuses and meditate anyway, I always come away feeling better. Sometimes only

slightly better. Often it's a great deal better.

When all's said and done, just do something to ease the stress. There are thousands of things ideally suited to your own personality type that can help

ease your chronic stress. Google "how to reduce stress" and see what comes up that would make you happy. Then do it!

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Sleep

We’re living in a 24/7 world. It seems as if no one “has time to do that”. In

order to squeeze in everything we need to do in a day we take time away from the most expendable thing - sleep. After all, if we’re sleeping we’re not

being productive. Right?

But alas, all we’re doing is robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Sleep is a funny thing. Some folks can function just fine with a few hours per night, while others need at least 8 hours or they act like they’re about to

keel over with exhaustion.

There’s a mental aspect to it as well. It’s akin to the placebo effect. If you

mentally prepare yourself for being sleep deprived, and accept it as temporary, then you can act like a normal person. On the other hand, if

you’re one of those that allow the thought of “being sleepy and NEED more sleep” to dominate your thoughts then you’ll be one of those that fall apart

as the day goes on.

The truth is, we MUST have sleep. And we must get an adequate amount. If

you fail to get an adequate amount of sleep eventually your body will force it

upon you. It may take days. Or even weeks. But, eventually, you will crash and catch up.

Your body forcing you to get that catch up sleep is great. You’ll refresh and renew your body. But as good as that is it’s not ideal. It’s not the best path

to agelessness.

I’ve heard a saying, or some version of it, many times over in my life. It

goes something like this…

“I’ll sleep when I’m dead. Right now I’ve got things to do.”

If you’re one that takes that approach, well, you’re very likely to start getting that “sleep” a lot sooner rather than later.

There’s a high probability that you would die faster from sleep deprivation than you can from food deprivation. There aren’t any studies on humans

that prove this of course. Nor are there any known cases of it actually happening to a human. However, there are rat studies in which the little

rodents died after 2 weeks of no sleep.

The world record for time without sleep is 11 days 24 minutes. That equates

to 11 days. I know for a fact that humans can go longer than 11 days

without food.

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There were no serious, life threatening side effects during his 11 days. However, there were serious cognitive and behavioral changes. Things like

moodiness (duh), lack of concentration, paranoia, and hallucinations.

He then slept for almost 15 hours and 10.5 hours on subsequent days and

appeared to fully recover.

While you can argue that we’re all very different and not everyone needs to

get the recommended 8 hours of sleep, everyone certainly needs to get close to that number.

Studies show that American’s in particular get just under 7 hours, on average.

Nearly 20% of Americans report having problems sleeping.

More than 100,000 car accidents each year are caused by sleepy drivers.

That results in an estimated 1550 deaths and 71,000 injuries [ref.].

I won’t continue to bore you with statistics. Suffice it to say that sleep

deprivation is a problem.

Sleep is closely tied to immune health. Studies have shown a 50% decrease

in antibodies in test subjects that were only moderately sleep deprived for 1

week [ref.]. Anyone can easily see how a 50% decrease in immune system antibodies would leave you at the mercy of a whole host of illnesses.

10 Serious Effects of Sleep Loss

I curated this list from WebMD [ref]. However, these 10 side effects were

consistent among all the other reputable health publications.

My main reason for listing these out right here is to provide you with a quick

survey. As you read over these effects, think of them as symptoms. Then honestly evaluate your daily and weekly routines for the existence of any of

these symptoms.

If you can say any of these are applicable to you then start considering how

you can make changes in your life to get more sleep.

I know, that’s easier said than done. And “if it were that easy I’d already be

doing it”. But it’s always a good thing to be reminded of things you need to work on to improve your health and longevity.

1. Sleepiness Causes Accidents

Sleep deprivation was a factor in some of the biggest disasters in recent

history: the 1979 nuclear accident at Three Mile Island, the massive Exxon

Valdez oil spill, the 1986 nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl, and others.

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But sleep loss is also a big public safety hazard every day on the road.

Drowsiness can slow reaction time as much as driving drunk. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that fatigue is a cause in

100,000 auto crashes and 1,550 crash-related deaths a year in the U.S. The problem is greatest among people under 25 years old.

Studies show that sleep loss and poor-quality sleep also lead to accidents and injuries on the job. In one study, workers who complained about

excessive daytime sleepiness had significantly more work accidents, particularly repeated work accidents. They also had more sick days per

accident.

2. Sleep Loss Dumbs You Down

Sleep plays a critical role in thinking and learning. Lack of sleep hurts these cognitive processes in many ways. First, it impairs attention, alertness,

concentration, reasoning, and problem solving. This makes it more difficult to learn efficiently.

Second, during the night, various sleep cycles play a role in “consolidating” memories in the mind. If you don’t get enough sleep, you won’t be able to

remember what you learned and experienced during the day.

3. Sleep Deprivation Can Lead to Serious Health Problems

Sleep disorders and chronic sleep loss can put you at risk for:

● Heart disease ● Heart attack

● Heart failure ● Irregular heartbeat

● High blood pressure ● Stroke

● Diabetes

According to some estimates, 90% of people with insomnia -- a sleep

disorder characterized by trouble falling and staying asleep -- also have another health condition.

4. Lack of Sleep Kills Sex Drive

Sleep specialists say that sleep-deprived men and women report lower

libidos and less interest in sex. Depleted energy, sleepiness, and increased tension may be largely to blame.

For men with sleep apnea, a respiratory problem that interrupts sleep, there

may be another factor in the sexual slump. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism in 2002 suggests that many men with

sleep apnea also have low testosterone levels. In the study, nearly half of

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the men who suffered from severe sleep apnea also secreted abnormally low levels of testosterone during the night.

5. Sleepiness Is Depressing

Over time, lack of sleep and sleep disorders can contribute to the symptoms

of depression. In a 2005 Sleep in America poll, people who were diagnosed with depression or anxiety were more likely to sleep less than six hours at

night.

The most common sleep disorder, insomnia, has the strongest link to

depression. In a 2007 study of 10,000 people, those with insomnia were five times as likely to develop depression as those without. In fact, insomnia is

often one of the first symptoms of depression.

Insomnia and depression feed on each other. Sleep loss often aggravates

the symptoms of depression, and depression can make it more difficult to fall asleep. On the positive side, treating sleep problems can help depression

and its symptoms, and vice versa.

6. Lack of Sleep Ages Your Skin

Most people have experienced sallow skin and puffy eyes after a few nights

of missed sleep. But it turns out that chronic sleep loss can lead to lackluster skin, fine lines, and dark circles under the eyes.

When you don’t get enough sleep, your body releases more of the stress hormone cortisol. In excess amounts, cortisol can break down skin collagen,

the protein that keeps skin smooth and elastic.

Sleep loss also causes the body to release too little human growth hormone.

When we’re young, human growth hormone promotes growth. As we age, it helps increase muscle mass, thicken skin, and strengthen bones.

“It’s during deep sleep -- what we call slow-wave sleep -- that growth hormone is released,” says sleep expert Phil Gehrman, PhD. “It seems to be

part of normal tissue repair -- patching the wear and tear of the day.”

7. Sleepiness Makes You Forgetful

Trying to keep your memory sharp? Try getting plenty of sleep.

In 2009, American and French researchers determined that brain events

called “sharp wave ripples” are responsible for consolidating memory. The ripples also transfer learned information from the hippocampus to the

neocortex of the brain, where long-term memories are stored. Sharp wave

ripples occur mostly during the deepest levels of sleep.

8. Losing Sleep Can Make You Gain Weight

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When it comes to body weight, it may be that if you snooze, you lose. Lack

of sleep seems to be related to an increase in hunger and appetite, and possibly to obesity. According to a 2004 study, people who sleep less than

six hours a day were almost 30 percent more likely to become obese than those who slept seven to nine hours.

Recent research has focused on the link between sleep and the peptides that regulate appetite. “Ghrelin stimulates hunger and leptin signals satiety to

the brain and suppresses appetite,” says Siebern. “Shortened sleep time is associated with decreases in leptin and elevations in ghrelin.”

Not only does sleep loss appear to stimulate appetite. It also stimulates cravings for high-fat, high-carbohydrate foods. Ongoing studies are

considering whether adequate sleep should be a standard part of weight loss programs.

9. Lack of Sleep May Increase Risk of Death

In the “Whitehall II Study,” British researchers looked at how sleep patterns

affected the mortality of more than 10,000 British civil servants over two decades. The results, published in 2007, showed that those who had cut

their sleep from seven to five hours or fewer a night nearly doubled their

risk of death from all causes. In particular, lack of sleep doubled the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

10. Sleep Loss Impairs Judgment, Especially About Sleep

Lack of sleep can affect our interpretation of events. This hurts our ability to

make sound judgments because we may not assess situations accurately and act on them wisely.

Sleep-deprived people seem to be especially prone to poor judgment when it comes to assessing what lack of sleep is doing to them. In our increasingly

fast-paced world, functioning on less sleep has become a kind of badge of honor. But sleep specialists say if you think you’re doing fine on less sleep,

you’re probably wrong. And if you work in a profession where it’s important to be able to judge your level of functioning, this can be a big problem.

“Studies show that over time, people who are getting six hours of sleep, instead of seven or eight, begin to feel that they’ve adapted to

that sleep deprivation -- they’ve gotten used to it,” Gehrman says.

“But if you look at how they actually do on tests of mental alertness and performance, they continue to go downhill. So there’s a point in

sleep deprivation when we lose touch with how impaired we are.”

Sleep Stages

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Don’t worry, I’ll keep it short and direct to keep the school speak to a minimum. But I do want to explain what your body’s doing during sleep.

Many folks have no idea how restorative sleep is.

You could look it up and find that some list as many as five sleep stages. But

a couple of those can really be combined into one. That leaves me describing three stages.

Stage One; Light Sleep

This is the majority of your night’s sleep. It allows your body to transition

between stage 2 (deep) and stage 3 (REM) sleep.

During this stage your eye movement stops, heart rate slows, body

temperature decreases, and you can be easily awakened.

Stage Two; Deep Sleep

This comes directly after the light stage. It will be between 15 - 30% of your night’s sleep. Deep sleep is vital for waking up energized and refreshed. It

helps maintain your general health

During deep sleep your body repairs itself and builds energy for the next

day. It stimulates growth and development. It repairs muscles and tissues.

And it boosts your immune system.

Stage Three; REM

REM sleep is between 20 - 30% of your night’s sleep. It renews the mind by playing a major role in learning and memory.

During REM sleep your brain strengthens memories. It replenishes the “feel good” hormones that boost your mood throughout the day. And it

consolidates and processes the things you’ve learned during the day. Your heart rate and breathing quickens. This is also the dreaming stage.

Getting good quality and sound sleep counteracts all 10 of those symptoms listed above. It has profound effects on your ability to make good

judgements. It keeps your brain’s cognitive skills sharp.

Maybe above all else, as far as instant benefits go, it makes you feel better.

When you’re well rested you simply feel good. Your outlook on things is better. Generally speaking, you’re just a happier individual.

Starting your day off with a cup of coffee just because you love it is much better than drinking your coffee because you’ve gotta have that jolt of

caffeine.

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The same statement applies to the Red Bull and / or Monster Energy drinkers out there. Although I’d argue that drinking those things at all, for

any reason is a questionable decision for your health.

How Can Sleep Improve Your Longevity?

This seems to be redundant at this point considering I’ve just explained what happening during your slumber time. And it’s just the opposite of the 10

symptoms listed above. But I really want things to be clearly laid out.

Sleeping restores your body. It allows your body, including your brain, to

focus on nothing but recovering, repairing, and rebuilding. Everything you do throughout the day comes at a cost to your physical being.

A fully rested brain is sharper. It can learn better, remember better, make better decisions, and produce hormones essential to aging well like human

growth hormone.

A fully rested body is healed of a multitude of damage. Specifically, heart

and blood vessels. As well as other tissues like muscle repair from workouts or unusual activity that required out of the ordinary straining.

Your immune system is also very dependent on adequate sleep. Although it’s

not widely proven and accepted, a lot of studies show sleep deprivation suppresses your immune system. These studies show that T-cells are

reduced and inflammatory cytokines go up during times of deprivation.

Suppressing your immune system, obviously, means your risk of sickness

and disease goes up.

Your hormones are rebalanced during sleep. During stages 2 and 3 your

body is improving its hormone situation. The ones most folks seem to care about are ghrelin (hungry/feed me) and leptin (I’m full). When you’re sleep

deprived these guys get outta whack and you go through your days struggling with your nutritional intake.

Combine outta balance hormones like ghrelin and leptin with a tired brain that feels moody and has an impaired ability to make good decisions and

you’ve got a wonderful recipe for gaining weight!

What Can You Do?

Here’s where things get sticky. To some of you, all you’ve just read is news. While others skimmed over it thinking “yeah, tell me something I haven’t

heard”.

The problem is this; too many folks simply don’t give sleep the priority it deserves in their lives.

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They feel it’s the one thing that expendable because they’re not getting anything done during that time.

So this is what you do if you want to get serious about getting your health in order. It starts with sleep as the foundation.

[1] Prioritize your sleep time. Guard that time ruthlessly. [2] If you have trouble sleeping, Google “how to get better sleep”

You’ll see tips like;

[a] keep your room cool & dark

[b] go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday

[c] get physical activity throughout the day

[d] manage stress

[e] etc. etc.

Here are two personal tips from me that you’re not likely to find in that Google search.

First, put down your damn electronic device, turn of your TV and read a real book for cryin’ out loud!

Second, begin taking a calcium / magnesium supplement. Look for one with

at least a 1:1 ratio. But you can go as high as a 3.5:1 ratio. I personally take a Schiff product (this one).

Truth be told, from my perspective anyway, most folks just need to slow down their life’s pace. With technology allowing us to record our favorite

shows to watch “whenever we get a free moment”, devices that deliver email, text, instagram, and facebook notifications constantly, kids with

extra-curricular activities, and the need to work extra hours to pay for those activities as well as keep up with the Joneses next door, we’re just too dang

busy doing a whole lotta nothing.

Slow down and smell the roses once in a while. Allow your body to take in a

deep breath of fresh air. Turn off your music and just sit in a quiet space. Close your eyes and let your body rest, recover, and heal.

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Ageless Blueprint Simple

Summary

1. Sleep well. And sleep 7 - 9 hours per day. That can include naps. Read

about it.

2. Eat well. Eighty percent of your diet should be whole foods like

vegetables, fruits, lean meats, and fish. Eliminate as many processed foods as you can. Eliminate as much sugar as you can. Eat enough

food. But not too much. Read about it.

3. Exercise well. Get some low intensity exercise every day. Work on

improving your balance every day. Use your muscles by pushing, pulling, or lifting something at least two times per week. But

preferably three times. Do some high intensity interval training once per week. An activity like sprinting will fill that bill perfectly. Read

about it.

4. De-stress using whatever method you can find. Read about it.

As you can see, aging well isn’t a difficult task. I just summed it up in 4

bullet points totaling 113 words.

It’s not about creams and potions that focus on the outside. Rather, you

focus on the inside and then the outside will take care of itself.

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Here’s to your health and longevity!

I’d love to hear from you. Please feel free to email me with your thoughts

and comments at bryan@agelesshq.com

And visit me often at Ageless H.Q.