I’ve identified what I call The Four Pillars (or killers…) of longevity. Each of these will be explored more in upcoming posts, including how each pillar supports the others (or not…) This post is just an introduction to get you thinking about where you are in relation to:
- Stress
- Sleep
- Nutrition
- Exercise
They are in order for a reason. First is stress, which has been identified by some as the biggest root cause of death in men. Chronic stress has been linked to many of our modern killers – cardio health, brain health, bone health, among others. When I speak of stress, think mental/emotional stress, not the physical stress from exercise, sauna, cold water, etc. If stress is out of control it applies downward pressure on the other three. This is an area I really struggle with, even when I think of “what really is stress?”
Second is sleep. Most experts agree that 8 hours is the optimum sleep time for humans, although it has also been suggested that we need less sleep as we get “less young”. (Instead of getting older, I like the idea of just getting less young.) When you think about the importance of sleep, consider that humans have been roaming this planet for over 300,000 years and we have evolved in many ways, but the state in which we have historically been most vulnerable is when we are asleep. But genetics has not evolved to require less sleep. To me, that seems pretty damn important to keep in mind. To those who say “there’s plenty of time to sleep in the grave”, that may come sooner than you would want. Plus, sufficient sleep can make you more productive in the hours you are awake. And sleep is when your body repairs itself, most notably for brain health. And when it comes to weight and eating, when I am tired (and usually feeling stress), that’s when I have a hard time staying on track.
Next is nutrition. This may be the most complicated of all the pillars because it is most personal, and therefore most controversial. I don’t think anyone would argue the need for “good nutrition”, but after this 30,000′ view, that’s where the arguments begin. And in large part because good nutrition for me is very likely different than good nutrition for anyone else. There is more science coming out in rapid pace about the gut microbiome, nutrition and brain health, how much protein do we need, and on-and-on. The science of nutrigenomics, or what we need to eat based on our DNA will make nutrition much easier to deal with and take away the controversy. As medical doctors begin to learn more about the importance of nutrition, instead of only treating symptoms of poor health (I know, this is an oversimplification, but not a lie), we will get better advice from our PCPs at our annual physicals.
Finally, let’s wrap it up with exercise. It’s super-important, that’s what makes it a pillar, but it’s last of the four primarily because you can’t exercise your way out of a shitty diet. Period. Hard stop. Exercise also supports the other pillars; spoiler alert – they are all connected. More exercise, less stress, better sleep, and more motivation to eat well. Who wants to work their ass off to burn several hundred calories and negate it with a huge bowl of ice cream? (I’ll admit that sometimes I will go for the ice cream, but usually only when I’m tired and will power is not a thing!)
For me, I have found these to be the drivers of when I feel good, or don’t. I’d love to hear your comments on The Four Pillars. Would you reorder? Add another pillar? Remove one?
Until then, Live Young. Die Old.TM