Want to Age Gracefully?
How to support your body + age gracefully:
If you don’t follow Dr. Mark Hyman - I highly recommend him. He is a functional medicine doctor that treats the root cause and optimizes the body’s systems as they are all connected, so he doesn’t just take a look at your heart or specialize in high blood pressure - but understand we have to treat the body as a whole. He shares with us simple, easy ways to support our bodies, age gracefully, and feel fantastic. The best part - most things you LIMIT (stress, toxins, broken foods) are the same, as well as the things you add will be similar (water, self-care, vegetables, vitamin D).
“… Functional Medicine recognizes that ALL these problems are connected and can be treated by getting to the root cause and optimizing your body's systems without treating them individually.
We’ve learned in Functional Medicine that the “why” for most chronic diseases stems from dysfunction in one (or more) of the seven major systems in our body.
These systems are all connected, so having dysfunction in one system can cause downstream effects on other systems. The key to creating vibrant, optimal health, increasing your healthspan, and feeling younger at any age is to support all seven systems.”
So how do we age gracefully?
A systems-based approach - working with each part of the body to function optimally.
Digestive system and gut flora:
Remove things that damage your gut, like ultra-processed, sugary and starchy foods, damaged fats, environmental toxins, unnecessary medications, stress, etc. and adding in the things that heal your gut, like prebiotic and fiber-rich foods (non-starchy veggies and whole fruits), fermented foods, probiotics, and L-glutamine.
Immune and inflammatory system:
Create a healthy inflammation status and immune response by limiting the things that cause chronic inflammation, like dairy, sugar, and gluten, chronic stress, toxic overload, and food sensitivities/allergies, and adding in the things that support immune health, like colorful, organic vegetables, quality protein, plenty of healthy fats, wild-caught/low mercury fish (salmon, sardines, anchovies, etc.), high-quality fish oil, vitamin C, and vitamin D.
Detoxification system:
It is ESSENTIAL that your body’s ability to remove waste and toxins is supported by reducing the amount of toxic exposure through limiting plastics, BPA-lined cans, artificial chemicals, unnatural ingredients, additives, artificial fragrances, etc. Support your body’s detoxification system by drinking plenty of water, sweating often through exercise and sauna, eating cruciferous vegetables, and having consistent bowel movements.
Energy system:
Support your mitochondria (the energy-creating organelles in your cells) by eating whole, real foods, loading your plate with colorful vegetables, and eating anti-inflammatory foods, healthy fats, and MCT oil.
Communications systems (includes your hormones, neurotransmitters, and more):
Focus on lifestyle factors like eating plenty of healthy fats, limiting stress, increasing enjoyable activities (hobbies, creative outlets, connection with friends, building relationships, etc.), limiting processed and refined foods, and adding extra support like MCT oil, magnesium, and vitamin D.
Transport system (includes your lymph and vascular system):
Keep your transport system moving by exercising often, sweating frequently, getting a massage, dry brushing, and adding support like CoQ10, high-quality fish oil, and L-carnitine.
Structural system (includes your cells, muscles, bones, organs, and tissues):
Keep your body healthy by eating whole, real foods, moving daily, limiting stress, increasing enjoyment, building relationships and connection, incorporating play, and relaxation.