Posts
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Friday, October 28, 2005
There are only two certainties in life...
As one ages, one's body changes and degrades. There is no certain way to stop the aging process, though I have read that there are laboratory studies and research into treatments which 'switch' off the aging genetics.
However, it is a long held belief and a fairly proven theory, that martial arts and associated physio dynamic exercises, such as yoga, can prolong one's life, or at least slow down the aging process.
Now, it's a fair assumption that exercise will keep the body fit and healthy, able to cope with the daily stresses of life, but in order to achieve a prolonged life, there is more to it than simply exercising on a regular basis.
I've talked before about eating the right kinds of foods to keep the body cleansed and I'll also add that there are certain foods and supplements which keeps the brain fully functioning and sharp into one's twilight years.
We all know that fish is 'brain food' and there is now plenty of proof that the high content Omega 3 oils , such as fish oils and flax oil, contains the essential DHA components which our brains require to work properly. The brain is largely made up of fats, and something like 30% of that fat is composed of Omega 3 oils.
Another well known (at least in the East, but increasingly more so in the West) brain food, is Ginkyo Biloba, usually the ground root or a tea made from its leaves. Ginkyo seems to help one's memory functions, as well as a general tonic to improve brain functionality and health. I have taken it in pill form before, when cramming for my finals at uni, and it kept me very sharp and alert for several days - a much better exam cramming help than Pro-Plus, which I despise! In the last few years I have been drinking a tea made from the leaves of the Ginkyo tree and the same effects were experienced. My mother also uses the fruit of the tree in certain Chinese traditional dishes, and they are a soft, nut like fruit, which goes well in soups or stews.
Lets move on; keeping one's body healthy is not just a process of exercise, as I have mentioned before, you also need to remove or reduce the types of foods which can harm your body, such as carcinogenic (burnt!) foods, so try to restrict the number of barbecues you attend! Drink lots of tea, whether it be traditional tea with milk, or green teas, both are super high in antioxidants, but are also diuretic, so you must remember to replace some fluids during the day after a heavy tea drinking session!
STRESS!
Life is shortened because we stress our physiology, causing faster breakdown, like a lightbulb filament in oxygen, it burns brighter, but dies quicker. Meditation techniques such as yoga can help to reduce the levels of stress in our lives, but we also know that exercise in general helps to reduce stress, by allowing us release, both of physical and mental exertion. We know that when we are stressed, our bodies naturally release different levels of hormones, acids and other substances in greater levels than normally present when we are not stressed, and it is feasible to assume that these greater levels of substances are detrimental to our physiologies. Hence, happy fulfilled people tend to live longer, in theory at least.
The Mediterranean diet of plenty of olives, fish, red wine and tomatoes is a blueprint for an excellent diet, and we are constantly seeing the benefits of this type of diet, coupled with the largely stress-free lifestyle of Mediterranean inhabitants, perhaps this makes a good template for life.
There is more to say about the foods and drink we consume, the exercise we do, the lives we lead that contribute to our physical and mental well-being, but I think the point is, we must look at it in a holistic way, and adapt and adjust our lives to the way we wish to be, in order to attain the results we wish to see, much like anything in life!
However, it is a long held belief and a fairly proven theory, that martial arts and associated physio dynamic exercises, such as yoga, can prolong one's life, or at least slow down the aging process.
Now, it's a fair assumption that exercise will keep the body fit and healthy, able to cope with the daily stresses of life, but in order to achieve a prolonged life, there is more to it than simply exercising on a regular basis.
I've talked before about eating the right kinds of foods to keep the body cleansed and I'll also add that there are certain foods and supplements which keeps the brain fully functioning and sharp into one's twilight years.
We all know that fish is 'brain food' and there is now plenty of proof that the high content Omega 3 oils , such as fish oils and flax oil, contains the essential DHA components which our brains require to work properly. The brain is largely made up of fats, and something like 30% of that fat is composed of Omega 3 oils.
Another well known (at least in the East, but increasingly more so in the West) brain food, is Ginkyo Biloba, usually the ground root or a tea made from its leaves. Ginkyo seems to help one's memory functions, as well as a general tonic to improve brain functionality and health. I have taken it in pill form before, when cramming for my finals at uni, and it kept me very sharp and alert for several days - a much better exam cramming help than Pro-Plus, which I despise! In the last few years I have been drinking a tea made from the leaves of the Ginkyo tree and the same effects were experienced. My mother also uses the fruit of the tree in certain Chinese traditional dishes, and they are a soft, nut like fruit, which goes well in soups or stews.
Lets move on; keeping one's body healthy is not just a process of exercise, as I have mentioned before, you also need to remove or reduce the types of foods which can harm your body, such as carcinogenic (burnt!) foods, so try to restrict the number of barbecues you attend! Drink lots of tea, whether it be traditional tea with milk, or green teas, both are super high in antioxidants, but are also diuretic, so you must remember to replace some fluids during the day after a heavy tea drinking session!
STRESS!
Life is shortened because we stress our physiology, causing faster breakdown, like a lightbulb filament in oxygen, it burns brighter, but dies quicker. Meditation techniques such as yoga can help to reduce the levels of stress in our lives, but we also know that exercise in general helps to reduce stress, by allowing us release, both of physical and mental exertion. We know that when we are stressed, our bodies naturally release different levels of hormones, acids and other substances in greater levels than normally present when we are not stressed, and it is feasible to assume that these greater levels of substances are detrimental to our physiologies. Hence, happy fulfilled people tend to live longer, in theory at least.
The Mediterranean diet of plenty of olives, fish, red wine and tomatoes is a blueprint for an excellent diet, and we are constantly seeing the benefits of this type of diet, coupled with the largely stress-free lifestyle of Mediterranean inhabitants, perhaps this makes a good template for life.
There is more to say about the foods and drink we consume, the exercise we do, the lives we lead that contribute to our physical and mental well-being, but I think the point is, we must look at it in a holistic way, and adapt and adjust our lives to the way we wish to be, in order to attain the results we wish to see, much like anything in life!
