Aging happens to all of us. It’s inevitable. Aging can be due to cells no longer able to function optimally. The environment we live in and our lifestyles can also affect how we age. According to Johnny Bowder, author of The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer, “Only about 5 to 20 percent of the aging process has to do with our genes. The rest has to do with how we treat our bodies, which determines whether, like a light switch, we turn the good genes on and the bad genes off.” Here are 5 ways shared with us by Dr. Amen to avoid accelerating the aging process.

1. Lessen Exposure to Free Radicals
Not unlike the way rust attacks a car, free radicals attack our cells, damage our DNA and accelerate aging. Things to avoid: cigarettes, trans fats, excess sun exposure, charred meats, and pesticides. Though fruits and vegetables are great sources of antioxidants that fight free radicals, try to buy the “dirty dozen” (produce with highest chemical residue) in...

Do you find yourself suffering with joint and muscle pain, always being tired, have gut issues like cramping, bloating or putting on weight or carrying extra weight? Then, you might be experiencing a vicious cycle of weight gain and inflammation. We learn from Dr. Cole’s article, the relationship with inflammation and weight gain is complicated causing bacteria in our gut to have a powerful ability to increase or decrease cravings.

“We used to think that maintaining a healthy weight was a simple equation. If you needed to lose weight, you were told to simply “eat less and exercise more.” These days, however, we know that it’s way more complicated than that. In fact, there are almost endless factors affecting our ability to lose weight, including underlying health conditions, food allergies, chronic stress, and gut microbiome issues—just to name a few. And all these barriers to weight loss have one thing in common: they produce chronic inflammation...