Younger and Thinner: Three Helpful Hacks

Younger and thinner – sounds like a dream…

However, unlike fairy-tales, this dream can come true to a certain extent.

Muscle tissue is the fountain of youth!

The powerhouse of Muscle = Mitochondria

It’s no mystery that we lose muscle tissue when we age.

Women hit a genetic muscle peak between 18-23 years of age.

Men, a little later, 21-27 years of age.

Most people don’t notice a huge change by the age of 30.

However, most will notice a change by age 40 and definitely by age 50 and beyond.

The reason? You’re losing muscle tissue.

Muscle tissue = Metabolism

The metabolic equation – 1lbs of muscle tissue burns between 35-50 calories per day.

That’s why:

• Men burn more calories than women
• Taller people burn more than shorter
• Younger people burn more than older

It’s also the reason why we lose our energy, find it harder to move our bodies, and show signs of aging.

But the heart of muscle tissue is something called the mitochondria.

The healthier your mitochondria, the better your chances of living a long, healthy life.

Our mitochondria keep our:

• Neurons firing
• Muscles working
• Hearts beating

Even if you don’t feel it, these microscopic powerhouses are constantly churning out the energy we need to function at the most basic level.

Sadly, your mitochondria gradually deteriorate as you grow older. In fact, mitochondrial dysfunction is considered a hallmark of aging.

How can you keep your mitochondria healthy?

1) Exercise 

When we are less active, our cells figure we need less energy to get through our day-to-day.

In effect, our bodies reduce the number of mitochondria we need.

One way to signal to the body that more energy is needed is to start demanding more power from your cells through exercise.

Research from York University reveals that exercise, especially strength training can trigger mitochondrial biogenesis, (the process of creating new mitochondria).

How to start with The Right Exercise:

• Design a program that is appropriate for skeletal limitations (shoulders, hips, back, knees, neck, etc.).
• Design a program that is appropriate for exercise level and condition (beginner, intermediate, advanced).
• Frequency-based upon conditioning.  For most people three (3x) workouts per week is appropriate.  3x/wk.
• Change and progress the program often.  Many people see a lack of results because the program is not changed frequently enough.
• A program should be somewhat different for each workout and change entirely every two to three weeks.

2) Diet

Another way to maintain healthy mitochondria is to eat a healthy diet rich in antioxidants (primarily veggies), bioavailable protein (eggs, fish, beef, chicken, turkey), ample in good fats (Fish oil, macadamia nut oil, olive oil), and low in high glycemic foods (refined carbohydrates and sugars).

Eating processed junk food produces more free radicals, which AGES your cells, than a healthy cell should have, weakening and destroying mitochondria.

What are free radicals? Free radicals are highly reactive molecules that mitochondria generate as a normal byproduct of cellular energy production.

Too many free radicals can damage cellular components.

Specifically, free radicals and reactive oxygen species bombard and damage your mitochondria, ages you prematurely both inside and out.

This damage also makes your mitochondria less efficient, which in turn produces more free radicals—creating a vicious cycle.

The Right Diet:

• It’s not calories, it’s insulin.
• Keep insulin low by eating proteins, fats, and low glycemic carbs (40/40/20) ratio.
• Learn more advanced techniques to keep glucose and insulin low such as spreading out meals, avoid snacking, and watching liquid calories.
• It’s not starving, it’s eating! (Healthy Snacks)