The way I see longevity is that there is certainly a basis in science, but it is equally about how we live our lives, connect with the world around us and the way we inhabit our bodies too.
My approach to life extension is as much informed by my background as a complementary therapist as it is by my interest in science and the lessons from the Blue Zones.
But let’s break it down and see if I can get my point of view across to you.
Science
First, we have the Science of ageing, and increasingly the science of longevity and life extension.
We can start by asking what the leading edge of science says about the causes of ageing and the antidotes. How can we use this information in our lives? Anti-ageing science understands many things about ageing that we didnāt understand before. Itās not one single thing that happens when we age, but rather a cascade of different, interdependent systems and processes that slowly (and sometimes quickly) degrade, stop working as well or just kind of āleakā.
There are 10 factors that we should be aware of, some of which include: DNA damage, epigenetics, chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, immune function, hormonal changes, telomere length, glycation, mitochondrial health and stem cell decline.
Itās not one of these things, but the combination of all of them together that gets us.
I believe the technical term for what kills us in the end (accidents and other mishaps aside) is called a āclusterfuckā.
There are lots of supplements, treatments and therapies that we can implement to slow and hopefully, eventually, reverse the ageing process.
At this stage in the game, I donāt expect humanity to ācure ageingā any time soon, but an extended life and health span is definitely available to us if we choose.
Evidence
Next, what is the Evidence that we can live longer, happier, healthier lives? The Blue Zones!
What can we learn from the oldest and healthiest populations on the planet? How can we integrate these learnings into our daily lives?
The Blue Zones of the world were discovered and researched by Dan Buettner, who has subsequently been working to reproduce them in different communities around the world.
There are a lot of common-sense factors involved in what makes the Blue Zones so effective for longevity, such as staying active, eating whole foods and minimal processed foods. But there are some, perhaps, unexpected factors, like strong community, faith and āIkigaiā, or having a reason for living.
Just like Dan Buettner is doing, we can also model the Blue Zones and work to incorporate these features into our lives to feel the benefit of extending our life and healthspan.
Preferences
But weāre all different, so we need to work to our own particular Preferences
How can we personalise everything weāve learned and make it work for our particular, weird human experience?
If youāre anything like me, youāre a bit particular about certain things; you have a passion for some things and an aversion to others. Welcome to the human race!
I could tell you that I have rock-solid, water-tight, unequivocal scientific proof that [blank] exercise protocol is the very best for longevity, but if, for example, itās swimming, and you had a bad experience of nearly drowning as a child, or maybe you just hate the smell of chlorine and the thought of other peopleās veruccas, there is no way youāre going to the public swimming pools 3 times a week to get your laps inā¦
Or perhaps I have iron-clad evidence that the BBQ-Paleo diet (I just made that up) is the best for extending your life, but youāre a hardcore raw vegan, youāre not going to bring yourself to follow that diet.
So we need to take this knowledge and adapt it to what will work for us, strange little humans that we are.
My approach is to tailor the best practices to the things my clients will actually do, whether thatās finding an alternative to doing laps in the pee-filled public pool or identifying what exactly is in the BBQ that moves the needle on life expectancy (is it the sauce or is it the charcoal?).
Building a Strong Base
And of course, it all starts with building a Strong Base of health and vitality!
It is my firm belief that health starts with the basics: good nutrition, quality sleep, proper exercise, correct supplementation, appropriate stress management and connection with your community.
To this, I would also add that we need to take good care of the machine that carries our brain around, our bodies, whether that is through yoga, meditation, acupuncture, shiatsu or other body work. While you could argue that these are all part of stress management, I feel that as a whole, we need to treat the body to regular maintenance as we would a car or other mechanical device.
Detoxification
And Iām just going to add in some of my thoughts on the advanced level of Longevity: Detoxification.
I donāt think not dealing with this sort of thing is going to kill you right away, but itās likely to be shaving time off the end of your life if you donāt deal with the stuff that is eating you from the inside out. Iām talking about internal parasites, environmental toxins and heavy metals, as well as toxic relationships, guilt, shame, fear and hatred.
While I donāt think these are the first things to tackle, they will improve your quality of existence and, for the last five on the list, your happiness.
So to summarise, I believe that the basis of good health and vitality is holistic health, organic food, the right supplements, ādetoxificationā and complementary therapies.
Optimising
Ok, so we have all of the basics in place, now what? Optimising!
Once we have the basics down, we can work on refining and optimising our routines, diet, workout plans, etc, and perhaps refocus on our impact in the world, our creative endeavours, or working in our communities, with renewed energy and vigour!
If you want to continue to optimise beyond the foundational stages of Longevity, we can work on the pointy end of the wedge: advanced supplementation, biohacking, detoxification, shadow work and self-mastery. More on that in a later post.
Improvement
And as a final thought, the goal should be Moving Towards Improvement
Rather than trying to be perfect right away (or at all), start where you are and make regular improvements in the right direction as your knowledge grows and you feel the progress. Seeing life as a journey is a much healthier approach than being entirely goal-oriented (even though coaching uses goal setting and accountability as a tool, we have to take a step back and enjoy the process). After all, the final goal in life is a good death, but the only way to get there is by living a good and full life.
Speaking of death, at this stage, itās inevitable, albeit postponed, so living a conscious life allows us the time to consider death and be more prepared for it when it comes. What legacy do you want to leave? Do you have a creative work that needs to be born before you shuffle off this mortal coil? Do you have a crusade (not that kind) that is calling you? Are you burning to champion a cause? To have the sizeable impact upon the world that we deserve, we have to first take care of our health, energy and vitality, all of which come from what Iāve talked about above.
Itās my choice to work with the change makers, artists and activists of the world; those who are trying to leave things a little bit better at their exit than they were upon their entry into this life.
Thank you for being here, thank you for your contribution.
Lib Long and Prosper š
Simon, The Liberal Longevity Coach
If this approach resonates with you and you’re ready to start building your own foundation for longevity, I’d love to help. Attend my free Introduction to Longevity workshop to see how we might work together, check out the Foundation to Longevity courseor join my mailing list for regular insights on sustainable health practices.