Your healthy lifestyle protocol = 5-7 days a week. Exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. Regular physical activity can keep the muscles around joints strong, decrease bone loss and can help control joint swelling and pain. According to a study from Brigham Young University of 6,000 adults, higher levels of physical activity equate to a nine-year biological aging advantage

Your healthy lifestyle protocol = 3+ days a week. Strength training increases bone density, helps joints stay flexible, and can reduce the symptoms of arthritis. Strength training also helps to reduce certain fat cells that put out signals to the body that increase inflammation. The British Journal of Sports Medicine published a review of 16 studies that found just 30 to 60 minutes a week of resistance training increased life expectancy by 10 to 17 percent.

Your healthy lifestyle protocol = 5-7 days a week. Regular stretching plays a crucial role in reducing age-related changes in the joints, muscles, and tendons. Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight. Then, when you call on the muscles for activity, they are unable to extend all the way. Stretching increases muscle length and reduces muscle stiffness, leading to improved flexibility and joint mobility. It also contributes to a significant reduction in the risk of age-related fall by enhancing balance and stability.

Your healthy lifestyle protocol = 5-7 days a week. Relaxation techniques slow your heart rate, lower blood pressure, reduce muscle tension and reduce activity of stress hormones. Genes related to inflammation became less active in people practicing mind-body interventions. According to the National Institutes of Health, the epigenetic aging rate decreased significantly with the number of years of regular meditation practice by long-term meditators

Your healthy lifestyle protocol = 8+ hours daily. Circadian rhythms dictate multiple processes in the body, including alertness or sleepiness, appetite, and body temperature. Circadian rhythms also regulate our immune system, and with it, our levels of inflammation. Inadequate and excessive durations of sleep are associated with an increased risk for accelerated biological aging, according to study findings published in the journal Sleep

Your healthy lifestyle protocol = under 4 hours. When you sit for too long, an enzyme that turns harmful LDL cholesterol into good HDL cholesterol drops by 95%. To protect your heart, take frequent breaks. According to the National Library of Medicine, older adults are the most sedentary age group, with sedentary behaviour having negative health-related consequences, including being a risk factor for obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia and premature mortality

Your healthy lifestyle protocol = never. Fast food contains higher levels of fats and sodium and can lead to weight gain since it’s more difficult to moderate your calorie intake with restaurant portions. A 2017 study suggested that it’s not wear and tear but diet that has a lot to do with the onset of osteoarthritis, especially animal fats. According to the results, a diet containing 20 percent saturated fats and simple carbohydrates “produced osteoarthritic-like changes in the knee.”

Your healthy lifestyle protocol = 5-7 days a week. Fruits are an excellent source of essential vitamins and minerals and are high in fiber. They also provide a wide range of health-boosting antioxidants, including flavonoids which help to counteract oxidative stress. Eating a diet rich in fruit may reduce risk for stroke, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Studies show that berries rich in antioxidant polyphenols, like blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and pomegranate reduce inflammation and painful joint swelling

Your healthy lifestyle protocol = 5-7 days a week. Vegetables are important sources of many nutrients, including potassium, dietary fibres, folate, vitamin A, and vitamin C and are also high in antioxidants. Antioxidants help to counteract oxidative stress. Green and leafy vegetables which can block an enzyme that causes joint swelling include kale, mustard greens, purple cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, arugula. Broccoli also contains a compound called sulforaphane which researchers have found can help prevent or slow the progression of osteoarthritis

Your healthy lifestyle protocol = never (except for grass-fed beef). How an animal was raised is the single greatest contributing factor to the quality of the meat that is produced. Grain-fed cattle produce meat that is rich in inflammatory markers. Grass-fed beef is an excellent alternative due to its nutritional profile of higher Omega-3 fatty acids that can reduce pain and inflammation and is the best choice for people who experience joint pain or arthritis

Your healthy lifestyle protocol = never. Processed meats are meats that have been preserved by smoking or salting, curing or adding chemical preservatives. Unfortunately, when these processed meats are preserved, cancer-causing substances form. Eating these meats can damage your DNA, raising your cancer risk. Processed meats contain nitrites and purines which increase inflammation and lead to joint pain, and should be avoided at all times. Foods to avoid include hot dogs, corned beef, bacon, sausages, salami, beef jerky and ham

Your healthy lifestyle protocol = never. White flour doesn’t contain the micro and macronutrients we need to feel satiated and full and it causes weight gain that increases stress and pressure on the joints. Refined grains have also been linked to higher levels of inflammatory markers in the blood. The lack of fiber and essential nutrients in refined white flour, compared to whole grains, deprives the body of key anti-aging nutrients—such as B vitamins, antioxidants, vitamin E, and minerals—further contributing to the aging process

Your healthy lifestyle protocol = never. Deep fried foods are highly inflammatory. They produce advanced glycation end products, more commonly known as AGEs, compounds which directly stimulate inflammation in the body. Fried foods are cooked in vegetable oils such as soybean, corn, sunflower, safflower, and canola (rapeseed), oils that are highly processed and include additives, pesticides, and chemicals. The amount of salt, saturated fats and calories increases drastically in fried food, which leads to weight gain and an increase in pressure on the joints

Your healthy lifestyle protocol = never. Soft drinks are loaded with fructose and should be avoided at all times. As the body breaks down fructose, chemical compounds called purines are released. The breakdown of purines produces uric acid—the substance that forms painful crystals in the joints and causes gout in middle age and older people. According to s study by the University of San Francisco of more than 5,000 adults, people who reported drinking a 350ml bottle of fizzy drink per day had DNA changes typical of cells 4.6 years older

Your healthy lifestyle protocol = never. All alcoholic drinks are toxic and there is no safe consumption level for any type of alcohol. Alcohol promotes both neuro and intestinal inflammation and increases free radicals, which reduces the body's natural antioxidants. A 35 year study by Northwestern University found that cumulative alcohol exposure is a surefire way to increase your biological age and that people who drank liquor, as opposed to beer or wine, were at greater risk of aging faster

Your healthy lifestyle protocol = 5-7 days a week. Water carries nutrients and oxygen to your cells, flushes bacteria from your bladder, normalizes blood pressure and aids in food digestion. In the US, 75% of people suffer from chronic dehydration, drinking only 2.5 cups of water a day. Small amounts of dehydration or not drinking enough water daily can contribute to joint pain since synovial fluid and cartilage tissue cells need water to help reduce friction and maintain motion between the joints

Your healthy lifestyle protocol = never. Sugar is Public Enemy Number 1 in the fight against inflammatory response. Sugar causes the body to release inflammatory messengers called cytokines that contribute to obesity-related inflammation. Research suggests that inflammatory markers in the blood decrease when people eat and drink less sugar. A high sugar diet can have harmful effects on health, such as increasing the risk of chronic diseases, weight gain, and tooth decay

Your healthy lifestyle protocol = never. High salt levels are found to spur the growth of immune cells involved in numerous autoimmune disorders, and cause fluid retention that can trigger tissue swelling and joint pain. Many salty snacks are also high in sodium which can raise your blood pressure. A study by the NIH determined that middle-aged people with higher sodium-to-water levels in their blood biologically age faster. They are also more likely to develop chronic diseases – such as diabetes, heart failure, and dementia – and to die prematurely

Your healthy lifestyle protocol = never. New research suggests that sucralose-6-acetate, a chemical found in artificial sweeteners, is “genotoxic,” meaning it could cause DNA damage in human blood cells. Sweeteners are often added to sweetened beverages, sugary cereals, sweet snacks, and desserts. Pure maple syrup is a great alternative as a sweetener since it’s low on the glycemic index score and also has the potential to reduce inflammation in the body

Your healthy lifestyle protocol = never. Stress accounts for between 60% and 80% of visits to primary care doctors. Chronic stress has been linked to accelerated biological aging, increased chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. You are more likely to have arthritis flare-ups or experience joint pain when you’re feeling stressed since the body releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline as part of the stress response which can cause muscle tightening and increased pain sensitivity

Your healthy lifestyle protocol = never. Social isolation and loneliness are associated with an increased risk of adverse health outcomes including heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, depression, anxiety and dementia. People who lack companionship are also more likely to experience elevated levels of stress and inflammation. A study from the UK Biobank reported that loneliness was significantly associated with an almost two-fold increased prevalence of both acute pain and chronic pain

Your healthy lifestyle protocol = never. According to the World Health organization air pollution is one of the greatest health risks facing populations. Breathing in pollutants leads to inflammation, oxidative stress, immunosuppression, and mutagenicity in cells, impacting the lungs, heart, brain and ultimately leading to disease. Specific disease outcomes most strongly linked with exposure to air pollution include stroke, ischaemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and pneumonia.

Your healthy lifestyle protocol = never. Smoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). E-cigarettes produce a number of dangerous chemicals including acetaldehyde, acrolein, and formaldehyde which can cause lung disease, as well as cardiovascular (heart) disease. E-cigarettes also contain acrolein, a herbicide primarily used to kill weeds. Nicotine causes constriction in blood vessel walls, which in turn creates an environment for plaque buildup, increasing risk of cardiovascular disease

Your healthy lifestyle protocol = 5-7 days a week. Research has shown that laughter has an anti-inflammatory effect that protects blood vessels and heart muscles from the damaging impacts of cardiovascular disease. Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain. Laughter can also stimulate circulation and aid muscle relaxation, both of which can help reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress and joint pain

Your healthy target answer is normal weight. Every pound of extra body weight places three to four pounds of pressure on each knee joint and being overweight or obese is a primary marker of metabolic inflammation. Obesity causes chronic tissue inflammation and being overweight puts your body into a constant and permanent cycle of inflammation. This inflammation makes it harder to lose excess weight. Adults with obesity have higher risks for dementia, stroke, many types of cancer, premature death, and mental illness such as clinical depression. The single most important health factor that you should pay attention to is your weight