Experts Reveal The Habits That May Be Ageing You More Quickly

“The age-old saying of ‘eat less and move more’ is outdated. Studies increasingly show this approach does not work in the long term. As we age, our body composition changes and we gain more fat mass, including visceral fat around the stomach, and our lean muscle decreases. Eating the right nutrients can protect the body from the worst of these changes and help you age better – counting calories isn’t part of this equation. Instead, we should be eating a nutrient-dense Mediterranean diet that contains plenty of fat and colour. Don’t fear fat – it will keep you full, keep blood sugar stable, ensure you absorb nutrients and boost skin health. Use olive oil like butter, eat plenty of free-range eggs, nuts, seeds and avocado.” – Jane Mostowfi, nutritional therapist

“Keeping active can make the world of difference when it comes to ageing, and it’s never too late to start. The key is to find something you enjoy and can stick to. From the age of 30, we lose as much as 5% of our lean muscle mass each year, plus we are at a much higher risk of falling. Therefore, it’s vital to include some exercises to strength your muscles, like resistance training, which can lower your risk of falling by 40%. You should also include aerobic exercise like walking, jogging and cycling, which will reduce visceral fat and improve heart health. Aim for a daily brisk walk – studies show fast walking may reduce the risk of early mortality by 20% compared to strolling – and lift weights or do a HIIT class a couple of times per week.” – Dr Clare Bailey, GP & co-creator of The Fast 800

“Eating when stressed – whether you’re in a rush, driving or doing emails – means your stress hormones interfere with digestion and degrade food metabolism. Studies show eating on the go doubles your risk of obesity.” – Jane

“Eating processed food that offer little nutritional value leads to deficiencies and inflammation, which is at the root of most diseases – think heart disease, obesity, cancer, diabetes and dementia. Western diets tend to be high in inflammatory ingredients, many of which are high in omega-6 fatty acids, which throws your omega levels off balance. Omega-3s are the healthy fats you should be aiming for – they contain incredible anti-inflammatory properties. Cut back on junk food and deep-fried food, which contain age-promoting inflammatory fats and, instead, eat more sardines, anchovies, salmon, algae and rainbow trout. Omega-3 fats can also be found in walnuts and chia seeds, but plant-based sources aren’t as potent. If you are vegan, take an algae oil supplement to boost your levels.” – Nikki Hillis, naturopathic nutritional therapist 

“Carbohydrates used to be the enemy, but they aren’t all bad – quality matters. Stock up on wholegrains – around the world, oats, barley, brown rice and ground corn feature in the daily diets of those living in the Blue Zones, parts of the world where people tend to live longer and be healthier. Interestingly, wheat doesn’t play a large part of their diets, and the grains they do use contain less gluten than our modern processed breads and pastas. If you can’t give up bread entirely, swap to a quality wholegrain or sourdough loaf, but only eat it at one meal a day.” – Jane

“Getting a good night’s sleep is vital in slowing the ageing process. Although some people can get by on less than six hours of sleep a night, most of us can’t – even if we think we can. Poor sleep affects every organ – from your brain to heart, your immune system and even your sex drive. One of the most important things you can do is to stick to a regular sleep schedule – wake up at the same time every morning, regardless of what time you go to bed, and don’t go to bed until you are genuinely tired. Your bedroom should also be a screen-free zone – that includes TV – and should be for sleep and sex only.” – Clare

“Just because you are getting old doesn’t mean you can’t try new things. If you enjoy yoga, try qigong. Studies show qigong – sometimes referred to as the Chinese form of yoga – can slow ageing. It has a therapeutic effect on balancing your meridians and organs, and it can reduce high blood pressure, support heart health and hormone production. As we age, our oestrogen levels fall and several large-scale studies show qigong can reverse this trend. Qigong has also been shown to boost levels of an anti-ageing enzyme called superoxide dismutase (SOD) that helps counteract free radicals in the body.” – Nikki

“Fibre supports your health in several ways – not only does it feed your gut bacteria, which we know is central to our health, but it regulates appetite and keeps us full. Aim for 30g per day, including plenty of beans and legumes. According to a study by the World Health Organisation, eating 20g of beans daily reduces your risk of dying early by 8%. Beans are an underrated superfood – they strike the perfect nutritional balance of 21% protein, 77% complex carbs and a dose of healthy fats. They are affordable, versatile and don’t spike blood sugar – get into the habit of making a white bean mash and either swap for potato mash or serve with crudites.” – Jane

“Coffee lowers levels of DHEA, a hormone that keeps our appearance youthful and reduces inflammation. Levels of this key hormone decline naturally as you age, and excessive amounts of coffee accelerates this process. Limit yourself to one or two cups of quality coffee a day.” – Nikki

“For thousands of years, the Mediterranean diet has been the source of antioxidants consumed by the people living in that region and may help explain their good health and youthful appearance. The Mediterranean diet is an ideal dietetic role model as it’s rich in many antioxidants, including carotenoids, which fight ageing. Get into the habit of trying new fruit and vegetables and don’t fear frozen varieties – they can be just as nutritionally rich. Aim for four different coloured vegetables a day – this will ensure you are getting a range of nutrient to reduce inflammation and support skin and eye health.” – Jane