David Sinclair is a Harvard professor and renowned biologist who studies aging and longevity. He has conducted extensive research on the topic and has made several claims about lifestyle habits that can help people live longer, healthier lives.
In a recent interview, Sinclair shared four lifestyle habits that he believes have helped him become biologically younger by a decade.
Sinclair claims to be a decade younger, thanks to these four lifestyle habits!
- Eat a plant-based diet and cut out alcohol
Sinclair and most other antiaging physicians and researchers agree that the surest way to add years to your life is to eat a primarily plant-based diet.
Diets high in animal products and processed foods—and therefore saturated fat, sugar, and salt— carry a much higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and some cancers. According to a number of peer-reviewed studies, a vegan diet based around whole foods is the most effective diet at reducing chronic disease risk and is considered to be the best diet for health and longevity.
So, this is the way to go if we want a longer, healthier life. Sinclair also suggests consuming alcohol in moderation or cutting it out entirely.
- Intermittent fasting
According to Sinclair, intermittent fasting (IF), where you eat a normal healthy diet one day followed by a day of a total fast or severe caloric restriction, seems to have many health benefits. Many studies have shown that IF can prolong life in animals and reduce the risk for many age-related chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and dementia.
- Stress reduction
Stress is not necessarily a negative response—it helps us survive dangerous situations and tells us when things are getting too much to handle—but chronic stress is another matter entirely. Our bodies’ life-saving reactions can have negative effects on our immune, digestive, cardiovascular, and reproductive systems.
It can also, over time, lead to physical symptoms of anxiety like muscle pain, tremors, and stomach pain. Over the course of a lifetime, stress can truly be a silent killer—so it is important we manage our stress levels and take breaks and be kind to ourselves when things get too much.
- Exercise regularly
It sounds so simple, but staying remains one of the most effective ways of staying happy and healthy for longer. Regular exercise can ward off risks of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and many cancers. It’s also fantastic for our bones, with research showing that regular exercise can result in an 83 percent lower risk of osteoarthritis and a 68 percent lower risk of hip fracture.
Perhaps most incredible is the effect exercise can have on our brains. The serotonin and endorphin release we get from exercise is a truly magical yet natural way to be happier. As a result, people who exercise regularly have a 30 percent reduced risk of depression.
