I can remember 10 years ago telling someone I didn’t want to live until I was 100 years old. I had this idea of what my life would look like if I lived past 80. It looked like me laying in bed with no purpose to live and being a burden on my family. Why would I want to do that?
I didn’t realize it then but I was thinking backward. I got caught up in what I have subconsciously been taught. However, I have since come to realize that we don’t have to “age” and we can live to see 100 or well over!
I started searching for the answer to a question I didn’t truly understand.
What is longevity?
What is longevity and Why do we age?
My question back then should have been, “how could I live until I am 100 AND have a good quality of life”. Not only for myself but for my family as well. That has since been the question I started asking myself and started seeking answers for.
I know the title is a little hard to believe. Can we actually “live forever”? Death is indeed inevitable and it will eventually happen to all of us one day. But what if we could naturally hack our body into thinking it was younger than it actually was by understanding why cells die and how lifestyles influence longevity.
I recently watched a documentary on what’s called the Blue Zones. In a nutshell, blue zones are five communities in the world that live the longest and healthiest lives. They found that all of the blue zones just so happen to have the same things in common. All of these communities are dedicated to creating an environment that supports a healthy lifestyle.
There isn’t one secret to these Blue Zones, there are several. All of them eat primarily a plant-based diet, they drink red wine every day (can I just say YES!), they have a purpose, they have a strong relationship with friends and family, they are active and they live a low stressed lifestyle. There are a few important factors we need to know (and do) in order to hack aging. The great news for us is they are all within our control!
What we have been taught about aging?
Growing up, I watched as my grandparents aged. There was a slight difference. My mother’s parents vs my father’s parents. On my mother’s side, there was smoking, drinking, poor eating habits, and a lack of purpose to wake up in the morning. My grandmother was the one who took care of the sick family members. First, was my grandpa who had several diseases and eventually passed away from heart-related conditions. My grandma remarried and her new husband has diabetes and It seemed like every time I went to visit, he had another part of his body amputated. He was my favorite. My grandma took care of my uncle who currently has every medical condition you can think of and at such a young age. My grandma passed away not long ago from lung cancer.
My dad’s parents lived on a farm and ate off of what they grew. My grandfather stayed busy farming and driving my grandma around since she didn’t like to drive. They didn’t smoke or have any major health problems. Most of them lived well into their late 90s and passed away peacefully.
Why do we age?
Genetics? Getting older? Lifestyle? Quality of life? All?
Living a lifestyle that encourages longevity or not comes down to one thing… you’re “why”. Fear-based? Love? Purpose? In fact, living out your own personal mission can add 7 years to your life. That shows just how important it is for us to know our “why”.
Aging comes down to how and why our cells die. Cells are constantly dividing and making more. After a while, they stop dividing and start dying. In fact, cells can divide 50 times before they start dying off. This is how we age. They are also finding a way to keep those cells on which will slow down the aging process. All cells contain NAD (Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide).
NAD is a coenzyme that plays a huge role in living things. In fact, we can not survive without NAD. It is critical for our overall health and plays an important role in the way our bodies metabolize and turn nutrients into energy. NAD helps repair damaged DNA, helps facilitates cellular growth and so much more. All of this is great except when our NAD levels start to decline as we age. That’s when we start “getting old” or deteriorating.
How do we get NAD?
There are many precursors to NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) meaning molecules that become NAD through a series of chemical changes. I want to focus on the most efficient of the precursors.
What is NR (Nicotinamide Riboside)
NR is one of them. NR is a B3 vitamin that is found in certain foods. We know it as niacin. B3 is a government-mandated vitamin because it is so important for our health. NR is said to be the most efficient of the precursors because it uses the least amount of energy to convert into NAD. This is possible because NR is able to bypass additional steps that other precursors have to take in order for them to become NAD.
While all of this was being researched and coming to the surface back in the early 2000s, scientists like David Sinclair, have also discovered that low levels of NAD and aging were connected. The combination of these two discoveries was life-changing… literally!
What is NMN (Nicotinamide Mononucleotide)
NMN is the newest precursor for NAD recently discovered. NMN becomes NAD after it undergoes a series of chemical changes. NMN can not easily enter a cell. It has to first become NR then it can change back to NMN once again then ends up as NAD which is the goal.
NMN is also very important to things we have to do every day like sleep and how our body metabolizes energy.
Why is this important to understand?
If you are asking yourself “why do I need to know all of this”, that’s easy!
By understanding these very important detail in this scientific discovery, it will allow us to stop and even reverse the aging process so we can live a better quality of life and even extend it. Added bonus!
Let me recap and make this simple to understand for you:
- Both NR and NMN are vital and beneficial for our overall health
- Both NR and NMN elevate NAD levels which naturally decline with age
- NAD is important for turning nutrients into energy
- NAD also activates sirtuins which regulate longevity
- We can naturally consume NR and NMN by consuming foods that contain them but it isn’t enough to change NAD levels to make it count.
- Taking a supplement that contains NMN and NR will increase NAD levels so you can feel youthful, delay aging and also reverse it!
NMN is a unique scientific breakthrough, able to fully absorb in the body to boost NAD+ levels which decline as we age.
This discovery gives us a glimpse into the future of longevity and anti-aging. Just by simply keeping the cells from dying, we can increase our health and longevity. We can feel younger and remain active the older we get. We can spend our last years living our best life instead of suffering from ailments that will keep us from doing the things we really want to do.
What supplements should I take to add years to my life?
Double Wood NMN supplement
NMN supports your NAD levels every time you take it!
- Supports healthy aging and healthspan
- Fuels the body’s energy “engines”
- Supports important cellular DNA repair
- Supports healthy energy levels, brain function, sleep patterns, and overall wellbeing
- Scientifically researched to sustainably support healthy NAD levels
- Vegan, Gluten and nut-free formula
- Does not clash with other medications/ supplements
CHECK OUT THIS NMN SUPPLEMENT ON AMAZON
Carbon 60
Carbon 60 is a relatively new molecule that was discovered in 1985. Since then, it has been researched numerous times and shown to increase the life expectancy of rats by 90%. Besides that, carbon 60 has a long list of other possible benefits that make it a great supplement to add to your daily regimen.
Even if this sounds like something you are not interested in or you don’t believe it could be true, just watch. Ten years from now products like these will be the “new norm”. Get on the train now so you won’t say “I should have back then”.
Think about your “why” and take a look around you. Even if you only want to add a few extra quality years to your life, start by making small lifestyle changes. You will be surprised how much that will make a difference. If you don’t do it for yourself, do it for your loved ones.
WE have ALL of the control and resources it takes to live our longest, healthiest and best life possible. But, it is crunch time. No matter if you are reading this and you are 30 years old or even 70, start doing all of these things ASAP.
Remember this as you finish this article, longevity has to do with a few factors.
- Genetics and cells
- What you eat
- Lifestyle
- Social Life
- Stress levels
- Exercising
Also, join our FREE community! You will get the resources and information you need to make small changes to your existing lifestyle so you can live your healthiest and best life possible.
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1 Comment
Thanks for a great article. This topic really interests me after reading The Blue Zones, so I am making adjustments to my life.