The Instruction Manual for Living to 100

Older people shouldn’t eat- “health food”-they need all the preservatives they can get.

Robert Orben

From pretty much the beginning of time, man has searched with obsession for the gateway to immortality and the fountain of youth. As seemingly delicious as the concept sounds, I am going to tell you up front, sadly there is no such thing and likely never will be. Even though we continue to push out the boundaries of human lifespan, the reality of it all is, not unlike any other species on the planet, we are all going to die, some of us younger than expected and others well beyond the bounds of genetics and predictable physiology.

The thought of living to 100 is of paramount interest for me as I am fast approaching my 75th year on this earth. I have devoted much of my 47 years in practice to observing why people get sick and more importantly what keeps them well, why some die young and others live to a ripe old age. Many of the answers to these queries are not surprising but others; the ones that my research has shown to be the real predictors of a long life are less conspicuous. This writing attempts to un-pack both the aging process as well as provide common sense tools designed to allow you to understand and then fashion a long, healthy and satisfying life, so let’s kick it off.

There is a plethora of theories on aging and longevity, but none with any level of completeness to be tagged as “the one.” There are definite physical and mental markers by which we identify the process, with one of the most important being the capacity for recovery. It is an undeniable fact that our amazing ability to heal from injury and disease slows down as we get older. This happens for a variety of physiological reasons such as:

1. A gradual decrease in the number of stem cells found in the skin and other tissues as we age.

2. A reduction in the volume of hormones such as growth factors which are critical for repair and the development of new tissues.

3. Metabolic regulation (mitochondria/sirtuin function) slowing.

4. Changes in our inflammatory responses to injury.

5. Nutritional deficiencies.

6. Circulatory insufficiencies and compromise.

7. Physical, chemical, and emotional stress.

8. Resident diseases and core system collapse associated with co-morbidities such as diabetes, respiratory ailments, digestive disorders, etc.

9. Genetic makeup.

These are understandable examples of circumstances and processes that impact healing capacity as we age, and they make sense. What you may not know is that most of the above examples are often simply responses to lifestyle-related insult or injury (things we do to ourselves over time). They are rarely the sole causes of ill health that we conveniently attribute to ageing. Medical science asserts that they are a normal part of getting older, but what if they may not be.

Could these nine physiological reasons for ageing be just cogs in a much bigger wheel? What if the inevitable deterioration of the human body is, in fact, more a by-product of the progressive insult to core systemic functions (cardiac, digestive, cognitive, respiratory, etc.) Certainly, each of the above nine can contribute to disease and ageing, but when you scratch below the surface, it becomes clear that in most instances, the persistent challenge to cornerstone physiological systems through destructive lifestyle practices, is ultimately what trips the switches that activate and then accelerate the ageing process. This in turn logically affirms how it is the uniqueness of our individual behaviours that is responsible for why every one of us ages similarly but with distinct variations.

All the above nine factors can be related to the insidious slowing down of this machine we call the human body. The more the mechanisms slow, and activity is withdrawn, the greater the likelihood that the remainder of our supportive systems will be adversely impacted. To take this a step further; if the body slows down enough due to the compromise of one or more resident systems, the seeds of disease start to flourish. With more functions becoming “dis-eased,” the stress on the remaining life-systems rises. In turn, this will inevitably result in a proportionally greater likelihood of further increases in constitutional breakdown over time, contributing to and accelerating the aging process.

Does this make sense? Stay with me here and let’s go deeper.

If the disease progression is not interrupted, systems start to malfunction and break down. If enough systems fail, we die. This is not conjecture; it is a fact and is purely logical. Independent of trauma, death as a by-product of getting older is more closely related to the progressive decrease of purposeful functionality (i.e., breakdown in the body’s ability to breath, digest food, eliminate waste, etc.) than it is to the culmination of years.

All the systems responsible for life are based upon one thing: function-specific purposeful movement. Regardless of how it occurs, all life processes, manifest as unique forms of one thing, movement, and are under the direction of the autonomic nervous system or unconscious mind. Looking at the other side of the equation, the absence of movement, or stasis, is ultimately expressed as death. This demonstrates the cornerstone element and most important key to living to a 100-years…movement. We will explore this in greater detail as we go forward. To uncover the other foundation points to a long life, we must first determine how and when we start to age?

Understanding how and when we start to age is a rather perplexing process for the following three reasons:

1. Even the best world-class scientists cannot come to firm agreement on what causes human beings to age.

2. Beliefs on what constitutes getting old are out of sync with evolving demographics. Our parents were old at seventy, our grandparents were old at sixty, and if you go back a couple of generations more, many people were old at forty. Today there are more centenarians than ever, and the number continues to grow.

3. Emerging contradictions in longevity projections. We have traditionally seen a slow but consistent rise in the average lifespan in Western society, but there is new data coming to light that forecasts a potential reversal in longevity projections in the coming years.

In short, although we have a pretty good idea about the biology of ageing, there is no consensus on when it starts or why. What really screws up the experts is that we just keep living longer. Some optimistic geneticists even propose a reasonable lifespan of up to 120 to 140 years or longer for younger generations already alive. (Interestingly, as mentioned in point 3 above, the other side of the research coin proposes a reduction in lifespan for future generations due to the escalation of degenerative diseases such as diabetes and obesity being observed in ever-younger populations.) I choose to buy into the hope that with a little work and reframing of approaches to health and disease, one hundred years could be the average lifespan within a generation.

Science has come up with some fascinating biological data on the mechanisms of ageing. Postulations such as:

• the free radical theory,

• the chemical process called the “browning reaction,”

• the proposition that ageing might be pre-programmed in our genome, or

• the slowing down of mitochondrial/sirtuin function as accelerators of the aging process all have compelling supportive research.

There are also several established or emerging hypotheses on the actual biological processes associated with getting old. Most of these examples support a common dictum mentioned previously that death, aside from a critical incident, is the result of a progressive system breakdown. To boil it down, the phenomenon of dying is very much a domino effect. As one system starts to fail, it increases stress and eventually compromises function in the rest. We often die one system at a time.

If there is a flaw in the research to date, it lies not in the facts but rather the direction of investigation. It is not the final mechanism of death that is important for our purposes here. Rather, it is the uncovering of what actually “pulls the trigger” to start the process of getting older that is of greater importance. This should be the broad-gauge concern of investigative science in this area, because focusing on the question of how ageing occurs will never address the more salient concern of why it occurs.

Could it be that what initiates the aging process is not so much physical or biological, but rather starts as a reaction, a byproduct of circumstance, crises or disappointments which cause us to stop trying and start settling. A watershed moment in one’s life, after which we start to deviate from a youthful path to one that favours what is easy, comfortable, or convenient. My experience has shown me that it is our attitudes, which present as behaviours, that functionally activate many of the biological mechanisms responsible for getting old and with that, the state of our health as we age. One thing is for sure: ageing is not based upon a predetermined clock, and it is grossly simplistic to view it that way.

Thinking of ageing as a behavioural decision or reaction rather than an inevitability may seem preposterous, but I challenge you to consider the idea pragmatically. Think about this:

• We all get old, but none of us at the same rate.

• Individuals with essentially identical physiology at birth will age in very different and distinct ways.

• When confronted with the inevitability of system breakdown or disease, these same people will respond uniquely. Some will succumb quickly while others will find ways to overcome the crisis and move on.

• Survival rates after a catastrophic incident are often unpredictable.

• There is no accounting for attitude, strength of will, or tenacity when deciding that no matter what, you are going to survive. Or the power contained within an absolute refusal to live life in circumstances that knowingly put your health in jeopardy any longer!

• Miracles do occur. Many people who were not supposed to survive do, whereas others who receive the same treatment for the same conditions fail. As Ranak Mann revealed in a wonderful Lifestyle article entitled “11 People Who Came Back to Life Reveal What They Saw on ‘the Other Side,’” a large proportion of those survivors interviewed stated that they had no rational explanation for living beyond the belief that death at that time was not an option.1

These last two points presented above center upon how we intellectually process life or death and are usually the true measure of the survival capacity in a human being in catastrophic circumstances. Actuarial science is exceptionally accurate in that insurance companies can with efficiency predict when you will die. What I think allows them to be so precise is that for the average person, once they have chosen their habits and lifestyle, they rarely deviate from it…no matter how destructive it might ultimately be. So, lifestyle A then equals outcome B. Given how we age so uniquely, there can be general predictors for probable outcomes, but no predetermined certainty because there is no calculation for fortitude, will, desire or faith. In other words, the impact of attitude on biological processes simply cannot be mathematically factored in… yet. The strength of our reasons for living, holds substantial influence over how our bodies emotionally and physically react to both crisis as well as the advances of time. That same concept applies to our health; because how we age is to a large degree, a direct reflection of our inherent attitudinal vitality. If we are functionally sound, mentally optimistic, and purposefully hopeful, we are likely going to live a long time. This is just logical, so a positive mental attitude represents the second requirement for a long and healthy life.

The third key to living to 100 with any degree of certainty happens by reframing our core beliefs and attitudes about the death itself. It is seeing the end of life as a natural and unavoidable by-product of living, not something that is “bad.” It has been my experience that people who live into their 90’s and beyond, do so, not by running away from death, but rather by adopting an attitude of reasoned acceptance. They continually work on their health, but not to avoid death, but rather to continue to experience life. This concept can be a real stretch for some, but in the end, may better serve to foster health, vitality, and longevity.

In short: the second and third keys to longevity show us that sometimes we need to change how we think to create lasting change in how we live. We all believe that we know what is needed to make our lives better, but what most of us are not aware of is the unconscious chatter that is constantly going on inside your head that may be subversively undermining your attempts for improvement.

Ask yourself this: Is the way we age and how we feel a reflection of our most dominant thoughts? Some respected thinkers say it is. If we think old, we become old. If we think sick, we become sick. This is not conjecture; there is ample evidence to support these dictums. Take a moment and on the following lines, list the things that you know you should change to improve your health, and beside each, the reason why it has not happened yet. Then, honestly ask yourself if your thoughts in these areas are empowering your efforts or keeping you stuck in that rut? This will provide you with the fourth key to longevity, which is found through the catharsis of self-discovery and having the courage to change disempowering attitudes and behaviours to create an ever-improving version of you.

Before we delve into the final defining features of becoming a centenarian, lets explore some pivotal details and debunk a few prominent misconceptions about how we were constructed, that will help to paint a more complete picture of how successful aging can be achieved.

First, in Western society we have been conditioned to believe there is an undeniable correlation between age and getting sick. How often have you had a healthcare practitioner say that you are suffering from this or that because you are getting old? This statement is simply not the truth—so do yourself a favour and stop letting people sell you that snake oil.

Science is just starting to understand the resident wisdom contained within the human body with all its complex mechanisms for preserving health. Through an internal strategy for repairing and replacing cells, called senescence, directed by tiny signalling proteins called sirtuins, we are naturally and automatically capable of monitoring and regulating the metabolic functions related to ageing and repair—including genome stability, inflammatory response, apoptosis (normal cell death), DNA repair and mitochondrial functions. I am sure that some of you may be saying, “So what? Big words and complex processes, what’s the point?” What I am driving at is simple. The body is creation’s most magnificent health factory. We were all born with these spectacular health enhancing processes, and they happen without thought or conscious direction every minute of every day you are alive; it just does not get any more amazing, and as I hope to demonstrate, with the right program for maintenance and activation, we have the capacity to live far longer than you may expect.

Although mechanisms for healing and repair may not happen quite as effectively at eighty-five as they were at thirty-five, these critical functions can be effectively stimulated regardless of age, with the natural by-product of doing so, being the creation of better health and a longer life. They also serve to protect us from disease, stimulate vitality, and positively influence the length and quality of our lives. Sometimes these take a bit longer the deeper we go into life, but this miraculous process of rebirth and repair occurs naturally from the moment of inception and continues through to the second we die without any conscious awareness. Our amazing bodies are constantly repairing, replacing, and rebuilding themselves.

Did you know that almost every one of your cells has a predetermined turnover rate? There is compelling evidence that most of your body right down to the DNA is replaced just about every twenty-four to thirty-six months. For example, our gums take two weeks to turn over. Stomach cells are replaced every two to nine days, and the cells in our throat change every two months. The lining in our lungs takes just eight days to rebuild. The pancreas regenerates every twenty to fifty days, and the trachea is pretty much replaced every one to two months. Even your bones are replaced at a rate of 10 percent per year. Life is a constant state of rebuilding and repair, with the process occurring seamlessly each day independent of will or age.

I firmly assert that it is not the accumulation of years that ultimately kills us. Rather, it is the progressive layering of stress and deterioration associated with lifestyle choices and individual health-depleting circumstances that ultimately results in our demise. The often-insidious breakdown over time eventually overwhelms the body’s inherent capacity for repair. This results in a functional compromise, with disease being the eventual outcome. As mentioned in the opening paragraph, it is a given that we are all going to die, but I don’t believe for a moment that living sick was ever part of the intended plan.

Imagine if there was a way to identify and activate those key functions that naturally invoke vitality and return the body to the path of health. I believe this is not only possible, but rather, that it is the only way to successfully make a positive and lasting change to overall health. Are you a little sceptical? As we dive deeper, I’m going to share with you the strategy for making it happen, embedded in the fifth key to successful aging.

Good health, not illness and suffering, was always designed to be the normal expression of life during this human experience at any age. Take a moment to digest that statement and then hold it up against the existing expressions of our health services industry. Lots of fear-based disease driven commerce and little in the form of health enhancement strategies.

Taking this a step forward, just imagine for a second if you had ways to activate key elements and functions that are naturally responsible for the creation of vitality and repair. Could you then potentially return the body to the path of health and with that a longer life? This is not only possible, but likely the only way to successfully facilitate positive, lasting health changes. I will explain the nature of these workings in detail as we go forward.

As indicated, your chronological age has little to do with the recuperative process and health maintenance. Certainly, the degree of improvement will vary from individual to individual in every case. That is just logical; but what you may not be aware of is that each of you has tremendous natural capacity to heal and be well. I want to emphasize again: Good health was always intended to be the normal expression of life during this human experience at any age, not illness and suffering. Health is for the most part about maximizing the efficiency of what inherently keeps your body alive and well. When you break it all down, that flesh and bone that you carry around with you every day is the only place you can really live and contained within it are all the seeds of long and vital life. The approach I am going to share with you, has the potential to massively impact your health and with that, the quality of your life. I know the program works because I’ve done the research and most importantly seen the results it has generated with patients.

Health is the natural and normal state of life where the body is maintained in a state of operational harmony. On the other hand, disease is often the outcome of a breakdown when processes or systems within our bodies become weakened or thrown out of balance. In many ways, 21st century consumers have lost faith in our tremendous resident capacity to recover from injury or disease. I hope that what I present will stimulate your curiosity, broaden your understanding, and allow you to make more informed decisions when evaluating your pathway to a long and healthy life. Let’s crack it open.

When preparing to write this, I knew I wanted to:

1. Create something that had the potential, from a practicality standpoint, to work for as many people as possible to improve quality of life.

2. Make it simple but effective from an execution perspective.

3. Keep it congruent with the core elements of functional human physiology (natural and without aids).

The following program addresses this by adhering to a system of protocols that are designed to work with and enhance the body’s innate core physiologic processes (stuff you were born with) that are the constructs of life as we know it. This required the identification and understanding the fundamental components of existence that define all life forms as being alive. Then investigation must determine whether those elements identified could be worked with in a way that might improve health, enhance vitality, and impact the ageing process. You would think this to be a complex and mystifying endeavour and indeed each of the following criteria are magnificently sophisticated functionally, but at the same time, rudimentary from an evolutionary perspective. For our purposes, I boiled it down to the following: all forms of animal life must think, eat, drink, breathe, discharge waste, reproduce, and move.

The methods of execution and sophistication vary from species to species, but to be classified as alive, all these activities are mandatory. At first blush, these components appear to function independently. But, upon closer inspection, they are profoundly interrelated, with the efficiency or health of each reflecting the viability of all the other parts. More simply, if one component starts to falter, it is not long before others follow suit. Conversely, when all systems function optimally, we have health. It is as simple and as difficult as that! Drilling deeper, I realized that for all of this to occur, there needs to be fuel to ignite and power the above six life features. This made the efficient creation of energy to power the millions of functioning parts that make up the human body the prime function and critical to existence. No energy, no life. Full stop! Efficient and clean energy production is therefore a key to health, and we will get into the importance of that a little later.

In looking at the above six criteria for life, it is easy to understand how food and drink are critical to our health. As well, if we don’t breathe, death is certain, but the failure to consistently discharge waste with efficiency will ultimately put us in the same fatal place. Dialing in a little finer reveals the more salient questions: Is there one or more common denominators contained within each of the above six that is common to all life processes? If so, could that function and/or those processes be influenced in such a way as to stimulate our natural reparative processes, increase vitality to re-establish health and extend life? I believe the answer is yes, and the route to it lies in the map of our evolution.

The human body has evolved over hundreds of thousands of years into a consummate “health machine.” All our physical, chemical, and intellectual components are designed, in one way or another, to allow us to effectively adapt to an ever-changing environment. Through the trial and error of genetic expression, the human body has developed the ability to grow, maintain homeostasis (exist in a state of health), and—important to our discussion—self-repair.

The following strategy focuses on our wonderful—and embedded—abilities to self-heal.

As part of this exploration, I will demonstrate how we can tap into and stimulate all those properties and processes which I refer to as the Five Pillars of Life, to stimulate and rebuild health and vitality. The following are the keys to both our existence, health maintenance, and longevity. The following represent the fifth key strategy in the quest to live to 100.

• purposeful movement

• optimum hydration

• functional breathing

• reasoned food management

• systemic detoxification

We will address in detail, how each is relevant to longevity and our health as we go forward.

As mentioned, today’s society has bought into the erroneous belief that the loss of health is a normal by-product of getting older, with vitality being inevitably replaced by disease, disability, and suffering. We are also conditioned to accept that once sick, we can only regain our health via medical intervention, which is often accompanied by a life sentence of prescription medications.

This does not always have to be the case! I also know with certainty that our current health delivery strategy shows little potential for resolving the ever-expanding battle with chronic disease. I find it illogical to believe that medications will ever provide a sustainable solution to the deep-rooted health challenges currently facing humankind. Improvement can only happen by building better humans. We have the capacity to positively influence our own health far more than we have been led to believe. In over forty-seven years of practice, I have witnessed the insidious infiltration of destructive lifestyle changes that have led to the present health crisis. But with that, observed some seemingly miraculous health transformations. For the volume of technological advances and investment being poured into sourcing a chemical resolution to the riddle of disease prevention, health maintenance, and longevity, the answer to how we stay healthy is neither complex nor magical. Rather, it is rooted in our evolution, with the key over-arching component found in the life-sustaining benefits of movement.

Before you pooh-pooh this as just another exercise program (which it is not), remember that since the beginning, life has been about the efficient generation of energy for the execution of movement. As you will discover, this same dependence upon movement also holds true for every one of the systems that support existence. The strategy I propose identifies these processes and their relevance to vitality and healing. It then offers what my study has shown to be efficient methods for fine-tuning each to improve their efficiency and, through this, general vitality. The system works because it operates within the framework of our evolutionary blueprint. It is based upon the key foundational elements of what it means to be alive and how each of those five core pillars mentioned above impact vitality, health, and aging.

The human body is much smarter than the human mind. As mentioned previously, life can be thought of as nothing more than intelligent, purposeful energy, and all energy is in turn, just one process: movement. Keeping with our goals for better health and a long life, the more efficient the energy production becomes, the better the repair and vitality potential. This is elementary. By establishing how to influence these prime movers (Five Pillars) most effectively, this knowledge should then reasonably provide the best path to effectively impact health and vitality (energy production). The greater the capacity and efficiency for energy production, the better the organism performs, which in turn becomes a measure of overall health.

The most fascinating thing about this approach is that the pillars of life/health you are about to examine can be influenced naturally. Each can be stimulated to improve energy metabolism to influence weight loss where needed, overall health, quality of life and ultimately the way we age. As you will see, managing these core influencers of health efficiently provides the best anti-disease and healthy ageing strategy you will find. They innately accomplish this by doing nothing more complicated than keeping you functionally sound and vital (constantly tuning the machine). This is in perfect step with the thousands of generations of evolutionary adaptation the human body has undergone.

As we examine each pillar, we will witness how much of what we call disease develops when one or more of these key systems becomes compromised. When this occurs, whether suddenly or over time, the viability of the organism is impacted. That weakness leads to a greater predisposition to breakdown and further manifestation of disease. If we can find mechanisms to repair and normalize these key functions when they are compromised, restoring health becomes a reasonable probability.

Again, these are The Five Pillars to Health that the program is structured upon:

• Reasoned food management

• Optimal fluid intake

• Functional breathing

• Efficient elimination of wastes and toxins

• Sound and purposeful movement

Do not be fooled by their simplicity and the fact each associated stimulating strategy can be comfortably accomplished by almost anyone. The biggest hurdle for some readers will be wrapping their heads around this somewhat “outside the box” approach, but I encourage you to be curious. Let’s start with the importance of movement to life.

Purposeful Movement

My research has demonstrated that the true benefits to health from activity are not found in random proceedings, but rather, in a system of consistent, purpose driven movement. This stimulates the functional efficiency and vitality of the human organism best. “Purposeful movement” is purpose-driven physical activity designed to activate with consistency, a cascade of neural and physiological processes that are critical to life, health, and repair. In other words, movement is what fires up the machine. Let me illustrate this a little fuller. In a paper published in the British Medical Journal entitled “How Should We Define Health? Machteld Huber and colleagues propose a new definition of health as “The ability to adapt and self-manage.”2 Interestingly, the history of human development shows this has always been the hallmark of our evolution as a species. Both adaptation and self-management reflect the human evolutionary experience. Without mastering these we would have been extinct long ago. Distil this down further and what you really get is efficient and purpose-driven movement away from danger and towards that which sustains life and enhances vitality.

The human body has been perfectly crafted over time to support a life of consistent movement punctuated by brief periods of rest during waking hours. In fact, from a purely anatomical perspective, the human skeleton was never designed to sit for extended periods. In fact, research confirms that prolonged periods of sitting are responsible for the recent explosions of many lifestyle-related diseases associated with ageing. Here, the take-away is found not so much in the amount of time spent moving over sitting, but rather in the interruption of sitting with regular periods of movement. This is what creates the real benefits to health. It is consistent periods of movement throughout the day that offers the greatest potential for positive health changes. Getting regularly structured activity over the course of the day is the most effective way to offset the adverse effects of prolonged sitting.

I don’t want to bore you with the science but understanding how the body functions to metabolize fats provides critical insight into why movement is actually more important than diet. Purposeful movement stimulates a cascade of biological processes which are critical to health. For example, lipoprotein lipase, which is responsible for breaking down triglycerides, is dramatically reduced during periods of inactivity. Science has found this reduction in metabolic function to be a massive contributor to the development of obesity. Conversely, lipoprotein lipase production, which is stimulated with movement, raises the metabolism (the breakdown) of fats. As noted in the work of Dr. Joan Vernikos, the most common yet effective activity for initiating this process is found in the simple act of standing up from a seated position. It starts a domino effect of chemical actions within the body that are designed to prepare you for imminent movement.” In an article published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal by Warburton, Nicol and Bredin, the authors conclude: “We confirm that there is irrefutable evidence of the effectiveness of regular physical activity in the primary and secondary prevention of several chronic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, obesity, depression, and osteoporosis) and premature death.”3 There is growing documentation supporting the fact that movement through it’s impact on improving systemic function alone helps to prevent many diseases. Imagine if movement became a prescription medication with a fee attached to it? It would become the single most suggested remedy among health care providers across the board, with the worst anticipated side effect being the need to purchase better footwear.

From a purely evolutionary perspective we are a machine with essentially three purposes: to think, to survive and to reproduce, with each of these core functions critically impacted by movement... full stop. All other life processes are designed to support those three core components of existence. The creation of health and vitality are also a reflection of the body’s efficiency in these same three areas. So, this raises the questions: What strategy would provide the greatest supportive benefits for these processes? What serves to enhance genetic expression, protects the organism from untimely breakdown and disease while maximizing neural and biochemical efficiency? The answer is found in systematic and purposeful movement. I find that regular periods of sustained walking throughout the day is the best way to accomplish this for someone starting their health reclamation journey. What I suggest to patients over the age of 50 is a “5-10-15 -10-5” walking strategy where activity is spread out consistently through the day. Here, before breakfast, you walk continuously for 5 minutes, then mid morning for another 10, 15 before lunch, 10 before dinner and 5 before bed. Obviously, there is much more to attaining optimum levels of health conditioning, but if you do nothing more than move with the above consistency you cannot help but experience health enhancement benefits. Now let’s tackle the real elephant in the room “reasoned food management”

Reasoned Food Management

It is so difficult to understand the ramifications of poor eating habits because the time delay between the act and the ultimate impact on health is large. If we eat a meal loaded with inappropriate foods, we don’t immediately drop dead. The consequences are usually gradual, cumulative, and they often don’t reveal themselves until we fall sick. It can take a surprisingly long time to kill oneself. One thing is for sure, as a race we are standing on the doorstep to oblivion and what and how we eat has a lot to do with what put us here. We know that traditional approaches to food management through dieting don’t work, so let’s approach this controversial topic logically. Ongoing investigation by the US National Weight Control Registry provides us with the best evidence of what works long-term to effectively manage weight. In a study, successful participants restricted portion size and caloric intake, avoided high fat foods, weighed themselves once per week and exercised regularly. Nothing earth shattering, no special products, just a whole lot of common sense. So, what is the best food management program for you? The short answer is the one which allows you to maintain sufficient caloric intake for optimum energy production and that works best with your lifestyle. If weight loss is a goal, remember that it is about one thing: the reduction of enough calories to allow the body to consume reserved stores. Under most circumstances, the more effectively we reduce our caloric intake, the more weight we will lose. But, as important as this is, remember that we shouldn’t equate weight loss alone to achieving a state of health.

For some of you reading this, weight is not the problem. I have often heard, “Well, Doc, I am not heavy, but I am certainly not healthy”. If you are among those fortunate ones who do not have a weight problem, you may be a little surprised by the fact that your inherent ability to maintain a “good” weight is not necessarily a reflection of decreased risk of food-related disease. Although excess weight increases the statistical likelihood of illness, you do not have to be heavy to be unhealthy. Being skinny is not a get-out-of-jail-free card. In fact, there are plenty of slim people who are sick. A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that people of a normal weight who had fat deposits around their middle were more likely (than overweight people with regular fat distributions) to die of cardiovascular disease.4 Many people think that if they’re able to stay lean while still eating poorly and not exercising, then they must be healthy. You might appear healthy on the outside, but you could have the same health concerns as overweight and obese individuals on the inside. Being thin and therefore believing that you are healthy, is often just your body finding a sneakier way of killing you.

Understand that food has only one essential purpose and that is to provide the fuel necessary for the creation of the energy needed to power the machine, (the human body). In turn, all life is just energy-driven purposeful movement. The quality of movement contained within the various functional activities that characterize what we call life reflects the efficiency or this overarching energy producing process. Everything from food intake and its assimilation to the efficient breakdown and elimination of waste, effective immune activity, circulation, neurological communication, reproduction, oxygenation, and optimum intellectual processing are forms of movement. In short, when these processes are well-ordered and unimpeded, there is health. When they are not, there is disease. In turn, the quality of living reflects the availability and quality of energy required to drive these processes and this in turn is impacted by just one thing, the integrity of the tiny energy producing factories contained within each cell, the mitochondria. When the mitochondria are well nourished and conditioned there is health and with that the energy needed to successfully maintain the body to 100 and beyond. I have gone into depth on the importance of the mitochondria to health as well as foods to maximize mitochondrial function in previous articles and in my book “The Un-diet Diet.” What science is just starting to appreciate is how instrumental the mitochondria are in the ageing process and health maintenance. Aside from energy production, they also have two other critical roles in health: essential co-ordinator of the apoptosis process (the death of cells which occurs as a normal and controlled part of an organism’s growth or development) and in controlled cell repair and removal. A brilliant article published in the British Journal of Cancer, 2015, by Lopez and Tait reveals that “Every minute of life, millions of cells in our bodies undergo a regulated form of cell death called apoptosis. This altruistic cellular process plays varied and essential roles in keeping us healthy, not least in protecting us from cancer.”5

Since mitochondrial health is critical to every bodily function, optimizing functional efficiency and preventing mitochondrial impairment by making sure you get all the right nutrients and stimulation that your mitochondria need is pivotal for repair, ongoing health, and disease prevention. Therefore, in examining food management strategies focus first on the optimization of mitochondrial function. This is the fountainhead for health and longevity from an energy management standpoint. There are numerous strategies available on-line to direct you in optimizing energy production and mitochondrial function. I encourage you to find one that dovetails with your lifestyle and then adjust your current food management to better support long-term vitality. Let’s move on to Optimal fluid intake as a pathway to longevity.

Optimal Fluid Intake

It is safe to assume that anyone reading this has at least some appreciation for the importance of water to life. The human body is made up of about eleven gallons (forty-two litres) of water, which accounts for between 50 and 70 percent of body weight. Your blood is 85 percent water, muscles 80 percent water, your brain 75 percent water. Even your bones are 25 percent water. All of this illustrates the important role that water plays in our lives. So, for the most part we are just large moving bags of water. What you may not know is the direct correlation between fluid intake to health, vitality, energy production and longevity. Water has been known as a key component of well-being for ages. We are all aware that we must drink as part of life, but few individuals understand the astounding health implications associated with optimally hydrating the body, for all its cleansing, energy producing, detoxifying, weight loss and healing properties. It is a key to health and wellness and one of the most overlooked necessities of life and longevity. In short, when we are thirsty, we know that we must drink. Beyond that, most of us don’t give it much thought.

According to an October 14, 2021, article called “Dehydration” that was published on the Mayo Clinic Patient Care & Health Information website, “As you age, your body’s fluid reserves become smaller, your ability to conserve water is reduced and your thirst sense becomes less acute. These concerns are compounded by chronic illnesses such as diabetes and dementia, as well as a side effect of many medications. Older adults also may have mobility problems that limit their ability to readily obtain water for themselves.” The report goes on to note that “People with chronic illnesses such as having poorly controlled or untreated diabetes puts them at high risk of dehydration. Kidney disease also increases your risk, as do diuretics that increase urination. Older adults commonly become dehydrated during minor illnesses such as influenza, bronchitis, or bladder infections.” I am sure that you have noted that even having a cold or sore throat makes you more susceptible to dehydration because you’re less likely to feel like eating or drinking when you’re sick.

I believe firmly that one of the major contributors to the development of chronic disease is the fact that few of us optimally hydrate our bodies. Dehydration does not have to be severe to contribute to health problems. Moderate levels of dehydration over time can create metabolic stress that may lead to ill health.

Research has shown that even mild dehydration adversely affects cognitive performance and increases fatigue. Some of the common side effects associated with dehydration include low blood pressure, weakness, dizziness, and increased risk of falls. Is this ringing any bells? In an article published on the Cognitive Vitality website, Dr. Betsy Mills notes that “Just a 2% drop in body water levels has the potential to result in a small but impactful shrinkage of the brain, sufficient to impair coordination, decrease concentration, and slow thinking.”6 If this sounds a lot like some typical signs of getting older, you are right. In a 2013 study published on the Medical Daily website, John Erikson wrote that“[Seventy-five] percent of the American population fall[s] short of the 10 daily cups [of water] prescribed by the Institute of Medicine.”7 One thing is unequivocal: Dehydration is a more common and serious health concern than most of us understand, and is especially so among the elderly.

Let’s look a little closer at some of the clinical aspects of dehydration along with the health benefits associated with proper fluid consumption, (hydration).

Impacts mood and cognitive function: If you are dehydrated, even mildly, your mood and cognitive function may suffer. In an article taken from the Imran Fayez MD website, the author Dr. Fayez notes that studies show that you only need to be 1% dehydrated to experience a 5% decrease in cognitive function. A 2% decrease in brain hydration can result in short term memory loss and demonstrate difficulty with math computations. Prolonged dehydration causes brain cells to shrink in size and mass, a condition common in many elderly who have been dehydrated for years.8 You may be surprised to learn that even seemingly minute levels of dehydration can negatively impact short-term memory, precipitate negative mood changes, and alter concentration and reaction times.

Reducing fatigue: Although water does not provide energy in the same way as carbohydrates and fats do, it plays an important role in the energy transformation process. Water is the medium through which all energy reactions take place. If you become dehydrated you will eventually become lethargic, may experience cramping, and your endurance and strength suffers. Athletes who become dehydrated often experience reduced performance in the days following periods of exercise-induced fluid loss. Mild dehydration is also one of the most common causes of daytime fatigue. I have found it surprising, the number of my patients who suddenly feel more energetic after doing nothing more than hydrating properly.

Helps in weight loss: In work published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, author Simon N. Thornton found that “Increased water intake is associated with loss of body weight via two mechanisms, decreased feeding and increased lipolysis.” The reverse also appears to be true. “Mild, but chronic, hypohydration is correlated with increased body weight and its attendant dysfunctions.”9 In a Healthline article published in December 2020, Adda Bjarnadottir, a registered nurse, notes, “Studies of older adults have shown that drinking water before each meal may increase weight loss by 2 kg (4.4 lb.) over a 12-week period.”10

Water can suppress appetite naturally and increase the body’s ability to metabolize stored fat. Yup! Drinking water can help us lose weight! A study published in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research in 2013 by Vinu A. Vij and Anjali S Joshi found, “The decrease in body weight, body mass index and body composition scores of overweight subjects at the end of study period establishes the role of water induced thermogenesis in weight reduction of overweight subjects.”11 In plain English: They lost weight.

As well, water:

• Helps us feel full, so we potentially consume fewer calories.

• Speeds up our metabolism marginally but is a good replacement for other liquid calories.

• Flushes out fats and toxins.

• Improves bowel function and reduces constipation.

• Gets rid of wastes through urination, sweating and bowel movements.

Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake could cause fat deposits to increase. On the other hand, raising the amount of water we consume can reduce levels of fat deposits. This is thought to occur because a reduction in water decreases the efficiency of the kidneys, which results in some kidney functions being shunted to the liver. One of the liver’s primary functions is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy for fuelling the body. Therefore, in a state of dehydration, the liver metabolizes less fat while being forced to perform functions normally taken care of by the kidneys. This then can result in less stored fat being burned and a reduction in weight loss potential. As mentioned, water is critical in helping our liver convert fat into usable energy.

Reduces fluid retention: Many of us seem to be constantly fighting the bloated feeling associated with fluid retention. Surprisingly, failure to drink enough is often a major cause. The body perceives dehydration as a threat to survival, which triggers a series of protective physiological functions. It begins by holding on to every drop of available fluid in case rehydration is not imminent. When this happens, water gets stored in extracellular spaces (outside the cell), which can contribute to swollen extremities (feet, legs, and hands).

According to a study by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, “Forty-three percent of the North American adult population drink less than four cups of water a day, with seven percent reporting they don’t drink any water at all.” This is a death sentence due to the strain that dehydration levies on the life-supporting systems in the body. As mentioned, if we don’t drink enough, kidney and liver functions can be impacted. These organs can potentially become overwhelmed with concentrated waste and toxins, which could lead to the increases in circulating toxins. Instead of excreting water and waste products, our body further retains existing water to dilute concentrations of toxic metabolic by-products. This is a major contributor to water retention and is reflected as weight gain. At first blush it may seem a little odd, but one of the best ways to get rid of excess water is to increase water intake and flush out the accumulated toxins.

Helps build muscle: Water transports nutrients such as protein to our cells and removes waste from the body. Water also helps in the synthesis of protein and glycogen, which are critical to muscle metabolism. To move and flex our muscles, we need water. If our body is dehydrated, the muscles will be deprived of electrolytes and cramps will often result. Without the proper water and electrolyte balance, muscle strength and control will also be impaired. It is essential that we stay hydrated if we want to build muscle and experience optimal performance whether in the gym, on the golf course or just puttering around the house.

May be linked to cancer and heart disease: In a study posted in the Journal of Clinical Oncology entitled “Water Intake and Cancer Prevention,” the authors note: that there is some compelling research showing a link between higher levels of water intake to a lower risk of certain types of cancer, such as bladder, breast, and colon-rectal cancer.12

Even the risk of fatal coronary heart disease has been linked in part to water intake. In a 2019 article published in PubMed by Watso and Farquhar, the authors reveal that “Observational studies have linked habitual low water intake with increased future risk for adverse cardiovascular events. While it is currently unclear how chronic reductions in water intake may predispose individuals to greater future risk for adverse cardiovascular events, there is evidence that acute hypohydration impairs vascular function and blood pressure (BP) regulation.”13

Our bodies also need water for blood circulation, various metabolic processes, regulation of body temperature and waste removal, which are all important components of health maintenance, and critical to maintaining an ageing body. If you want to live to 100, optimum fluid consumption is critical. Now let’s look at what I believe is one of the most controversial topics in healthcare and what I see as one of the most important contributors to a long life…detoxification.

The Efficient Elimination of Wastes and Toxins

Detoxification is controversial. Traditional medical practices often disregard it as unscientific and say there is little or no evidence to show effectiveness. On the other hand, holistic and alternative healthcare providers applaud the health benefits and incorporate them regularly as part of a healing strategy. So where does the truth lie? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the process of detoxifying as the following:

• A: to remove a harmful substance (such as a poison or toxin) or the effect of such from the body.

• B: to render (a harmful substance) harmless.

The body eliminates toxins through the liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs, lymphatic system, and skin. While most of the body’s physiological processes, such as circulation or digestion, are limited to one organ or system, detoxification is critical enough to have six engaged in some aspect of the cleansing process. Logic dictates that if “detox” was not of crucial importance to health, nature would not have devoted so much real estate to ensuring that it happens.

In my research into the evolution of health practices, it appears that detoxification is among the oldest medicinal modality known to man. In a 2020 article published on the Natural Med Doc website, Dr. Sarah Bennett, notes that “Numerous detoxification practices have been used across cultures worldwide dating back thousands of years. To be exact many of these practices date back to 2000 B.C.E and were documented to have been used in Ancient Egypt, China, India, Early America, even the Roman Empire.”14

Much of what we eat or are exposed to environmentally contain substances which can harm the human body. Chemicals from various sources, refined sugars and processed foods, medications, resident disease states, inactivity and chronic stress can all increase the number of noxious substances in our bodies. Most of these toxins are eliminated naturally, but some substances, such as heavy metals including thallium, antimony, mercury, lead, arsenic, and other noxious chemicals found in some industrial compounds and pesticides can remain, accumulate over time, and serve to exacerbate various health concerns. When our body is flooded with toxins, the organs responsible for their elimination can become overwhelmed and deteriorate. If uncorrected, the body can become incapable of coping with further toxin build-up. This means natural cleansing efficiency is weakened, system functions deteriorate, and disease can result.

So how do we avoid this?

As mentioned, the concept of body cleansing and purification has been in existence for centuries. Have some of these strategies to detoxify the body been effective? Yes. And there are still a variety of ancient detoxification techniques, such as fasting, saunas, dry brush, herbs, water, rest, meditation, and exercises, used today. Blends of substances served in the form of teas is another popular tool for cleansing body toxins, and some hold potential weight loss benefits as well. Still, established medical approaches, view the process with a jaundiced eye.

For example, in a 2015 medical review entitled “Detox Diets for Toxin Elimination and Weight Management: A Critical Review of the Evidence” was published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics. The authors, A. V.Klein, and H.Kiat, concluded: “At present, there is no compelling evidence to support the use of detox diets for weight management or toxin elimination. Considering the financial costs to consumers, unsubstantiated claims, and potential health risks of detox products, they should be discouraged by health professionals and subject to independent regulatory review and monitoring.”15 The mainstream medical view is that the body has mechanisms to rid itself of toxins, and that detoxification has not been scientifically validated to have any health benefit. I agree that there is need for regulation and certainly advanced research, that just makes sense. Having accepted that, let’s remember that this opinion comes from a paradigm that has developed chemical preparations to address everything from hangnails to haemorrhoids. There is no doubt that humans possess built-in capacity to deal with toxins, but the efficiency of many of these mechanisms is predicated upon the body being functionally healthy and active. Let’s think about the following questions:

• What if the body has been compromised by disease, physical, chemical, or emotional stress, or inactivity? Do natural detoxification processes work as effectively?

• Do the natural detoxification mechanisms still work as efficiently as we age?

• Does the long-term exposure to noxious chemicals or the use of medications perhaps impact toxicity levels in the body and potentially overworks some or all the organs that participate in the detoxification process?

It is more than reasonable to assume that disease, stress, inactivity, and ageing can all compromise the efficiency of detoxification. We know as fact, that medications impact our inherent detoxification processes by the very disclaimers presented by the pharmaceutical companies for even the most common of non-prescription drugs, with the “garbage cans” of the body—the kidneys, liver, or bowel— seemingly most impacted when things go wrong.

Does a diet high in chemically enhanced foods or exposure to environmental toxins lead to the accumulation of greater than normal levels of substances not normally part of the human biome? Just from a logic perspective alone, the probability is there.

When the body is functionally efficient, the blood carries toxins to the liver, which uses enzymes to break down these substances, rendering them harmless or eliminates them via the urine, feces, breathing or skin. Here is an important point: unfortunately, these systems were built to dispose of “natural” toxins, not the man-made ones we have to deal with today.

Dr. Subrata Chakravarty listed the following symptoms of toxicity on the Hope for Cancer Treatment Centers’ website in 2016:

• Allergies

• Excessive mucus

• Constant fatigue

• Regular muscle aches and pains

• Weight you just can’t shed

• Bad breath

• Constipation, bloating or IBS

• Broken-out skin, rashes, acne, puffy eyes, eczema, or psoriasis

• Sensitivity to smells

• Arthritis or gout

• Mental fatigue

• Depression

To assume that there is no value to keeping the body free of toxins is just not logical, especially considering the dramatic changes in diet and lifestyle that have occurred over the past sixty years. Would it be unreasonable to think that an ageing body may be more prone to the accumulation of toxins due to the increased exposure over time, combined with the natural loss of organ efficiency associated with getting older? Well, yes. This is especially so if health is already compromised by disease, stress, obesity, extensive use of medications, or inactivity.

Acknowledging this, for any program aimed at maintaining health on the journey to 100, to be successful it must pay attention to the potential for resident of toxicities and present a successful strategy for creating avenues for their removal. As such, every one of the five pillars of health contains features dedicated to eliminating toxins from the body. Each of the foundational pillars of Purposeful Movement, Optimum Hydration, Functional Breathing and Food Management are designed to improve energy metabolism, eliminate or minimize accumulated toxins and maximize health potential. In my mind, to dismiss the value of detoxification would be negligent.

In preparing for this work, I scoured the available research to find what would be simple, inexpensive, and effective in safely stimulating detoxification. Cranberry juice won hands down due to its simple effectiveness and the amount of research supporting its efficacy as a detoxification adjunct. The broad health benefits of cranberry juice are well-documented, and my experience has shown that it serves as the perfect companion to the other four pillars of the program as a natural and gentle cleanse. Note, when incorporated as suggested within your healthy aging program, there are few collateral health risks associated with its use, except for a potential impact upon the blood thinner Warfarin. Having said that, in an article published in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Science in 2013,Nuggehally R. Srinivas states: “While the debate continues on the issue of an interaction between Warfarin and cranberry juice, the summation of the pharmacodynamics data obtained in patients and healthy subjects from different prospectively designed and controlled clinical trials does not provide overwhelming support for the existence of a pharmacodynamic drug interaction for normal cranberry juice ingestion.”16 (As always, if you have any concerns about potential interactions with your current prescription medications, contact your pharmacist or medical practitioner prior to starting to use the cranberry juice.)

I personally find that a mixture of 1/3 unsweetened cranberry juice and 2/3 water sipped over the course of an hour or so works best. I find that when I am fighting a cold or flu, I will often double that amount spread out over the day. From a health maintenance perspective, I do these three to four times per week. Please note that traditional sources of cranberry juice are refined and sweetened, rendering them of little or no value. Use only natural and unsweetened cranberry juice. Now let’s dive into the final pillar, functional breathing and its importance to health and aging.

Functional Breathing

The next time you are in a room with an older crowd, look around and observe the staggering number of people who sit bent forward. I can guarantee that most have no idea how their resultant shallow breathing serves to negatively impacting their health. I can feel a sense of scepticism among some of you, so let’s look closely at the process. Do a little test for yourself. Sit bent over as you would see many older people do and take and breath. Do you feel the restriction as your abdomen bunches up against your ribs. Now sit up and take the same breath in. Notice a difference?

We breathe twenty-three thousand times per day. Human lungs breathe in and out about 2,100 to 2,400 gallons (8,000 to 9,000 litres) of air every day, and the total length of the airways running through the two lungs is approximately 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometres). The two lungs together contain three hundred to five hundred million alveoli at the end of the tiniest of airways, and this is where the oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange occurs. You can survive three days without water and forty days with no food, but most of us would be dead in three minutes without oxygen, as it is the most important element to our survival.

If you are looking to live to 100, it is important to know a little about respiration and how our bodies breathe. A big part of any longevity strategy revolves around efficient breathing techniques designed to drive more oxygen into your system to improve overall metabolic function, stimulate healing, and increase energy production.

When you breathe in, the muscle on the bottom of your ribcage, called your diaphragm, contracts, and draws the lungs downward, allowing them ample room to expand. Other muscles between your ribs, called the intercostals, contract to pull your rib cage upward and outward. As the lungs expand, air is sucked in through your nose and mouth and travels down your trachea into your lungs. After passing through your bronchial tubes, the air finally reaches the air sacs (alveoli) where oxygen is diffused into the bloodstream. At the same time, carbon dioxide travels into the air sacs from the blood and is expelled as you exhale. On average, around 70 percent of all metabolic toxins are released from the body through our breath, so the better we breathe the more efficiently and effectively we detoxify and expel waste from our system.

Due to lifestyle, infirmed health, stress or just laziness, most of us use little more than the top one-third of our lungs when breathing. Tidal volume (the amount of air displaced between normal inspiration and expiration) is usually half a litre, and total lung capacity is up around five or six litres depending on the size of the person. So, in essence, most of us are only using about 10-20 percent of potential lung capacity for normal breathing. As we age and become more sedentary, much of this lung capacity can become further reduced. This can be additionally complicated by factors such as weight gain, chronic lung dysfunction associated with smoking, the exposure to air pollution, etc. Add to this, poorer levels of conditioning also often associated with getting older or having resident mobility issues, and you have a recipe for impaired lung function and diminished tissue oxidation. It is like pinching the fuel line in your car and expecting it to perform robustly.

It has been my experience with people over the age of fifty-five, that the above-mentioned reduction in respiratory function is usually found in combination with progressive decreases in activity and chronic posture-related shallow breathing, which of itself can be a major contributor to poor health. There are various causes of breathing impairment, none of them good, but many that can be improved with the proper rehab strategy which I will provide shortly.

Shallow breathing, which is also referred to as chest breathing, and is characterized by an increased number of breaths per minute but a decrease in the volume of air consumed with each cycle of respiration. There are various causes, including trauma, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) infections, inflammation in the airway, obstruction in the breathing passage, anxiety, stress and more. More importantly when dealing with an individual who is aging, it is often a devastating by-product of a sedentary lifestyle.

Most people aren’t even aware that they are chronically frequent/shallow breathing or that they may be weakening their lungs and ultimately their health in the process. The negative ramifications are usually insidious, as are the implications to vitality that often ensue. The broader and more serious impact of the process is found in the progressive decrease in tissue oxygenation. Like a motor starving for gas, general performance is impacted. It is often a gradual progressive breakdown where the patient remains unaware of the damage until it is evidenced by the development of disease. This adversely impacts energy metabolism (no gas, no horsepower), which means the machine starts to run more sluggishly. The fallout over time can be tragic to overall health and well-being and as mentioned, can be a major contributor to the development of disease.

It is not difficult to understand how any living tissue can be sensitive to oxygen deprivation and is therefore negatively impacted by the effects of shallow breathing, but you may be a little surprised at just how broad that reach is. The following is a list of physiological activities and functions most impacted by oxygen deprivation resulting from shallow breathing:

• Brain function

• Disturbed sleep

• Weight gain

• Decreased immunity

• Neurological function

• Neck and shoulder pain

• Headaches

• Cognitive function

We all know that breathing is important, but what functions does oxygenation specifically perform in our bodies? Oxygen is a necessary component in every chemical reaction that is part of human physiology. It nourishes the cells by providing the fuel needed to metabolize carbohydrates. It facilitates chemical transport to break down and eliminate waste products and toxins. Oxygen is pivotal in regulating the pH of body chemistry, and it also stimulates efficiency in the immune system.

There are dozens of studies that support the use of deep breathing for the positive influence it has upon the nervous system, stress and anxiety management as well as the physical impacts noted previously. Increasing lung efficiency even just a few percentage points can improve your health and enhance general vitality. A lot of that change will come from doing nothing more than simply revisiting what it means to breathe naturally and in accordance with how evolution intended us to use our lungs.

The next time you observe a newborn baby as they sleep, take note of the way their whole body is breathing and how the components of respiration are connected. Their back, tummy and chest move together in perfect harmony as each breath is perfectly executed.

Cardiovascular and digestive function, muscle tension, lymphatic efficiency, mental clarity and certainly how we age are all impacted by the quality of our breathing. The broader health benefits can be quite eye-opening. In a 2013 article entitled “Breathing Exercises Help Veterans Find Peace after War,” Brooke Donald discusses a study on yogic breathing done by Emma Seppala with military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress syndromes. It found that the use of specific breathing strategies substantially reduced symptoms long-term for many of the victims.17

When performed consistently, effective breathing techniques have been shown to positively impact physiological functions on almost every level from digestion, blood pressure, the effectiveness of the immune system, as well as mental health and sleep. Even pain management and the discomfort associated with chronic degenerative arthritis have been shown to be positively impacted by the breathing techniques I am going to share with you going forward.

Controlled breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for calm and relaxation. It is a simple fact that techniques that maximize our capacity to breathe effectively will positively influence health and healing.

In a ground-breaking paper by Russo, Santarelli and O’Rourke entitled “The Physiological Effects of Slow Breathing in the Healthy Human,” the authors examine the broader physiological effects of controlled breathing on the body. They state: “There appears to be potential for use of controlled slow breathing techniques as a means of optimizing physiological parameters that appear to be associated with health and longevity, and that may also extend to disease states.” They go on to remark that “The act of controlling one’s breath for the purpose of restoring or enhancing one’s health has been practiced for thousands of years amongst Eastern cultures.”18 “Pranayama” is a Sanskrit word that loosely translates to “control of breath”, is a well-known ancient practice of controlled breathing. It is often combined with yoga or meditation for its spiritual and health-enhancing benefits. Various forms of pranayama can be performed at varying rates and depth. In an article posted on the Healthline, author Kirsten Nunez notes that “According to research, pranayama can promote relaxation and mindfulness. It’s also proven to support multiple aspects of physical health, including lung function, blood pressure, and brain function.”19

As humans we tend to assume that breathing is a normal and natural phenomenon and, as such, often ignore the broader impact to health. Perhaps one of the most important and yet overlooked benefits of proper breathing is that it helps to regulate the acidity of the body. Negative changes in that acid balance, which may lead to a condition called acidosis, can contribute to disease, and accelerate the ageing process. As I have mentioned, there are many real dangers to health from chronically shallow breathing, but some of the most devastating lie in the resultant effects of acidosis. This is what we will examine next.

The prestigious medical text Merck Manual, describes acidosis as, “An overproduction of acid that builds up in the blood or an excessive loss of bicarbonate from the blood (metabolic acidosis) or by a build-up of carbon dioxide in the blood that results from poor lung function or depressed breathing (respiratory acidosis).”

The idea of our bodies being in an acidic state is a foreign concept for most; even the thought of it being a contributor to disease susceptibility sounds like science fiction. The human body, and especially the blood, are naturally in a mildly acidic state of between 7.35–7.45. If the pH was to go above 7.45 it is considered an alkaline state, and below 7.35 is considered acidic.

Acidosis has been touted as a bona fide cause of illness for eons within the natural medicine and alternative medicine but has received very little notice from within traditional Western forms of health care. In fact, this theory that the body can become acidic and this can somehow serve as a source of health concern has been actively discounted by authorities from within conventional medicine. Their position is that the measuring of blood pH changes (the marker for measuring acid levels) among people on various types of diets and varying states of health has failed to show significant related adverse change. Up until early in the twenty-first century, little credible research existed to counter this scepticism. In a 2015 article published in Integrative Medicine: A Clinicians Journal, Joseph Pizzorno notes that, “Over the past few years, a growing body of documentation has demonstrated not only that ‘acidosis’ is a real phenomenon, but that it is now believed to be a potential contributor to a wide range of diseases including metabolic syndrome, cancer, osteoporosis, kidney stones, and the growing wave of environmental-related disorders —and new research is adding to the list.”20

It is important to clarify that acidosis should not be confused with ‘acidemia’, which is a consistent pH change significant enough to alter blood chemistry to a level of less than 7.35. The term acidemia is used to describe a state of low blood pH, while acidosis is the process leading to these states. Acidemia is very unlikely to occur except under extreme circumstances, as the body has multiple mechanisms for ensuring a stable blood pH. Acidosis only leads to acidemia when the body’s inherent combative measures become overwhelmed by weakness or pathology. This is found in advanced diseases like kidney and lung failure.

With our ever-aging population, we are seeing the potential for acidosis climb, due to the body’s failure to adapt to today’s flood of acid-inducing challenges—diets high in sugars and refined carbohydrates, emotional stress, poor sleep patterns and a sedentary lifestyle all contributing to the process. Although actual blood pH will rarely change substantially, the delicate balance within the cells and intracellular space appears to be much more susceptible to subtle fluctuations. There is evidence that this contributes to adverse cellular metabolic changes, disruption of enzyme function, and very importantly, the potential loss of insulin sensitivity. When in a state of acidosis, the body tends to hold on to excess fluids as it attempts to neutralize a rising acid imbalance. I believe that this is a reason that people lose water-weight when they start just about any traditional diet program. The removal of sugars and other inflammatory foods immediately starts the process of neutralizing body chemistry, the need for excess fluids to combat and neutralize the acidic environment is reduced.

There are many varieties of acidosis, such as diet-induced acidosis, drug-induced acidosis, and metabolic-induced acidosis. The condition is potentially far more common in those already suffering with chronic illness and compromised health (i.e., an ageing population). People with restricted mobility also tend to breathe shallower than others who are active and mobile, which can result in a condition called respiratory acidosis. I believe this condition is much more common than previously acknowledged, so it is important to make it a primary component of any anti-aging program.

Although acidosis itself may not be considered a major health concern, even discrete levels of acid imbalance at a cellular level can seriously impact health over time, especially in those of us over the age of fifty-five. For the many reasons demonstrated earlier, we tend to lose some of the respiratory efficiency of youth as we age. Combine this with an increasingly sedentary lifestyle often associated with getting older, and the recipe for even minor changes in cellular chemistry are more than just a possibility.

The lungs are among the most magnificent of human organs with tremendous capacity for healing. I am now going to provide you with a series of specifically tailored breathing exercises that are designed to maximize your respiratory potential and more efficiently oxygenate tissues. The intent is to reverse the effects of any resident or emerging acidosis and facilitate greater healing by keeping your body in a more oxygen rich state. You will be amazed at how quickly the positive benefits can occur when you begin breathing more efficiently. The best breathing exercises for longevity utilize diaphragmatic (belly) breathing. Box breathing ( (4-4-4-4)), and other similar offerings that lengthen the exhale, such as the (4-7-8) method are excellent examples of straightforward yet effective breathing enhancements. These exercises promote relaxation, improve oxygenation, and support overall health making them a crucial driver of a longer lifespan. There are excellent demonstrations of both techniques noted above available on You-tube. Although these exercises seem simple, they take some time to master. Never try these when you're short of breath. You want to do them when you are breathing in a normal pattern. If you become winded while performing them, reduce the frequency or intensity to a more comfortable pattern. The more you practice, the better the results and ease of execution. Ideally, you should practice both exercises for three to five minutes twice every day. Now let’s take a final moment and talk about the sixth and final supportive adjunct on your journey to 100…sleep.

Restful sleep

I am sure that some of you are looking at this and wondering why the importance of sleep shows up last in the longevity equation. There is no doubt that proper and adequate sleep is paramount to health and longevity. As we age, the need for adequate quality rest escalates in significance due to its essential reparative benefits. During sleep, your body engages in vital tasks like tissue repair, the regulation and release of hormones such as growth hormone, and the cleansing and organization of memories. It is also the time that we strengthen the immune system and replenishes energy as the body repairs and replaces damaged or diseased tissues. Consistently good sleep habits are linked to a lower risk of developing conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity, all of which are major impactors to longevity. According to a Mayo Clinic online publication: “Sleep and longevity: How quality sleep impacts your life span,” by Alisa Bowman, published online on January 14, 2024; “You may be able to sleep your way to a longer life. According to recently published research involving 172,321 adults, men who get adequate sleep live about five years longer than men who don’t. For women, it’s two years. However, about a third of all adults cut sleep short, raising their risk of heart attack, dementia and diabetes, among other health conditions.” Interestingly both sleeping to little and too much are both potentials for premature death.

It has been my experience with patients, that if the mind and the body are functionally sound and in a state of ease, sleep becomes both adequate and refreshing. In other words, quality of sleep is as much a reflection of the overall health of the organism as it is a contributor to it. When the body or mind are in a state of ‘dis-ease’, sleep patterns reflect the disorder, and this seems especially so when it comes to mental health and emotional stability. Worry and stress are parasites of the mind that prey viciously upon both quality and quantity of sleep. In the end, the quality of your sleep is a direct reflection of the quality of your general health. It is my opinion that if the commonsense recommendations on achieving longevity noted throughout this article are observed, healthy sleep patterns naturally result.

In closing, I wish that I could have provided you with a two-minute synopsis on achieving a long and healthy life, but as you have witnessed in the reading, although there is certainly no mythical “fountain of youth,” with discipline and a few modifications to your current health strategies and habits the road to 100 is there for the taking. It just requires consistently giving the body what it needs to thrive, eliminating a reasonable amount of the garbage that is inherent in our current 21st century lifestyle, and intellectually conditioning the mind to be creatively purposeful and positively engaged in crafting a life of meaningful satisfaction and worth. There quite simply is no downside to doing so. The worst that will come out of the process is that you will feel better, see the world clearer and enjoy your life for what it was meant to be…a magnificent journey.

The best thing in all of this, is that there is no time limit for starting a new direction in life. It will be effective and show positive results at 19 or 91. Live large!

---

1. Mann Ranak. “11 People Who Came Back to Life Reveal What They Saw on The Other Side,” Lifestyle, September 2019.

2. Huber, Machteld and colleagues. “How Should We Define Health?”, British Medical Journal, July 26, 2011. 

3. Warburton, Nicol and Bredin. “Health Benefits of Physical Activity: the evidence”, Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), March 2006.

4. Sahakyan, Somersault et al. “Normal-Weight Central Obesity: Implications for Total and Cardiovascular Mortality”, Journal Annals of Internal Medicine,2015.

5. Lopez and Tait. “Mitochondrial apoptosis: Killing cancer using the enemy within”. British Journal of Cancer, 2015.

6. Mills, Betsy Ph.D. “Can Dehydration Impair Cognitive Function”, Cognitive Vitality website, January 10, 2020.

7. Erikson, John. “75% of Americans May Suffer from Chronic Dehydration, According to Doctors.” Medical Daily website, 2013.

8. Fayez Imran “How Dehydration Affects Your Brain” Imran Fayez website.

9. Thornton, Simon N “Increase Hydration can be Associated with Weight loss.” Published 2016 Journal Frontiers of In Nutrition

10. Bjarnadottir, Adda MS, RDN. “How Drinking More Water Can Help You Lose Weight”, Healthline article, December 2020.

11. Vinyl A. Vij and Anjali S. Joshi. “Effects of water induced thermogenesis’ on body weight, body mass index and body composition of overweight subjects”, Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 2013.

12. David, Yair Bar, Gesundheit Benjamin et all “Water Intake and Cancer Prevention.” Published 2004 Journal of Clinical Oncology.

13. Watso and Farquhar. “Hydration Status and Cardiovascular Function”, PubMed,2019.

14. Bennett, Dr. Sarah, NMD. “The Extensive History and Modern Use of Detoxification and Cleansing”, Natural Med Doc website, 2020.

15. Klein, Av and Kiat, H. “Detox diets for toxin elimination and weight management: a critical review of the evidence”, Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 2015.

16. Nuggehally, R Srinivas. “Cranberry juice ingestion and clinical drug-drug interactionpotentials; review of case studies and perspectives”, Journal of Pharmaceutical Science, 2013.

17. Donald, Brooke “Breathing Exercise Help Veterans Find Peace After War.” Published Stanford Report May 22, 2013

18. Santarelli, Russo, Santarelli, and O’Rourke “Physiology Effects of Slow Breathing in the Healthy Human.” Published 2017 In Journal Breathe.

19. Nunez, Kristen. “7 Science-Backed Benefits of Pranayama,” Healthline Website, May 15, 2020.

20. Pizzorno, Joseph. “Acidosis: An Old Idea Validated by New Research,” Integrative Medicine: A Clinicians Journal, 2015.

---

About the Author: Dr. POOLEY has been in practice for over 46 years, is a former champion bodybuilder and author of the book the Un-Diet Diet.