Cellular Regeneration
Body Reinvention
Although most people don’t realize it, the body is constantly in a state of reinvention. Cells replenish themselves regularly. Old cells die and new ones are born. Of all your organs, your skin replaces itself the most quickly, but each one regenerates. You do not have the same physical body you had just a few years ago. Every cell has been replaced.
In a sense, we have a shelf life. Structures on the tips of our chromosomes called telomeres, which are like wicks on sticks of dynamite, grow shorter when cells divide. When the wick gets small enough, cells no longer receive the instruction to replicate and their death follows. However, telomeres do not have to shorten as quickly as they do. Research shows that an enzyme called telomerase repairs them and extends them slightly, which offers promise that we have the power to actually reverse aging by improving our ability to repair and lengthen our telomeres.
Meditation and Exercise
Mindfulness meditation, exercise, and thinking differently all show promise for slowing the aging process. Studies by researchers such as Richard Davidson of the University of Wisconsin show that mindfulness practices rewire the brain, resulting in greater immunity4 and improved ability to manage stress and emotions. And a recent longitudinal study lasting eight years and following people over 50 showed that as little as an hour a week of moderate exercise can cut your risk of developing chronic disease sevenfold. “Moderate” exercising is as little as an hour a week of dancing around, washing your car, or walking. And even those who had been sedentary up until the beginning of the study had outcomes similar to those who had been exercising all along. So if you want vibrant new cells in your body, nourish them by making positive lifestyle choices that include maintaining a positive attitude about yourself, your well-being, and your value.
Cellular Breakdown
It’s cellular breakdown that produces the physical changes we associate with aging, from wrinkles to minor aches and ailments. The physical deterioration occurs in large part because of the accumulation of toxins, which results in cellular deterioration and damage along with tissue and organ breakdown. This toxic buildup’s effect on the body is exacerbated by the development of dense fascia: that is, scarring of connective tissue caused by physical, emotional, and mental stress (more on this later). And as I mentioned in the Introduction, spending too much time sitting and lying down speeds up the aging process. That’s why you need to move your body and experience the earth’s gravitational pull through walking, pushing, pulling, and moving.
Move It
One reason movement is vitally important is that your fluids can more easily move toxins to organs that process them if you aren’t sitting all day long. In fact, urinary incontinence is exacerbated by prolonged sitting (as is erectile dysfunction, which is a reason why men need to move too). If the body’s toxins aren’t processed, cellular breakdown occurs.
Toxins
There are toxins in our food and environment we should avoid as much as possible, but many of the toxins that contribute to the aging process are produced in our own bodies. Stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline are meant to be used by the body in the case of an immediate threat to physical safety. They give us quick energy to run for the hills or put up the fight of our lives. When these hormones are chronically elevated in the system due to unremitting emotional and physical stress, they cause cellular inflammation, and that is the primary cause of all chronic, degenerative diseases, including cancer.
