Taking care of your health and well-being is essential, but it becomes even more critical as you age. The famous saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” is especially true regarding aging. Taking proactive steps to maintain health and well-being when young significantly reduces the burden of illness and disease in the later years of life. Furthermore, these steps construct a path toward youth rather than becoming feeble.

It’s essential to remember that aging is a natural process and not something you can entirely avoid. However, it can be a slow decline or a cliff fall. By gaining the proper knowledge and adopting healthy practices, you can control your health, well-being, and anti-age.

This approach helps ensure you age with grace and vitality, not just longevity.

What is Aging?

At its core, aging involves a gradual decline in your cellular functions. A key player in this process is a molecule called NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide).

NAD+ is crucial for healthy cell division, DNA repair, energy production, and cellular functioning.

Unfortunately, NAD+ levels naturally decrease as you get older. Research indicates that NAD+ levels begin their gradual decline around age 40. The drop can be significant by the time you reach your 60s. However, several factors, including stress, unhealthy diets, lack of exercise, etc., cause chronic inflammation that destroys and depletes NAD+, producing premature aging.

In addition, chronic inflammation sets the stage for age-related issues and disease.

However, most importantly, NAD is specifically vital for cells/proteins called sirtuins. Sirtuins are responsible for regulating changes in your body to age or anti-age. And they highly depend on NAD.

The Exercise Advantage in Delaying Aging

When it comes to aging, exercise is a critical, time-sensitive factor. The earlier you start and the more consistent you are, the greater the benefits:

• Started as a child into early teens and stayed active throughout life? You could potentially delay the effects of aging by up to 30 years.
• Began exercise in your late teens or 20s? You might gain a 20-year delay.
• Embarked on a fitness journey in your 30s and older? A 10-year delay is still within reach.

How does this Happen?

First, remember that cells divide and replicate. This process is like your computer creating a restore point each time. Therefore, it creates many points to refer to over the years. Each time your cells divide and replicate, they are transferring the data to reproduce cellular functioning. So, if you did not exercise when younger, it is not backed up or time stamped; it is like it never happened and can only refer back to a starting point. So, when you start training, this is the age you will see this effect or restore back.

This is the incredible power of exercise. It will create an anti-aging effect for your mind and body at any age.

How Does Exercise Work Its Magic?

Exercise is vital in maintaining NAD+ levels, ensuring your cells function optimally. When you exercise, you create those restore points. However, your body produces the NAD for cells to do the job correctly.

• Mitochondrial Power: Exercise promotes mitochondrial health and biogenesis. Mitochondria create energy. Exercise sparks the creation of new mitochondria, boosting overall energy production. The more mitochondria you have, the more NAD can be regenerated through increased mitochondria.
• Hormonal Harmony: Exercise, especially resistance training, helps maintain healthy levels of hormones like testosterone, growth hormone (GH), and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). These hormones support muscle growth, bone health, and overall metabolism—all of which naturally decline as you age.

Understanding Exercise Types

• Aerobic training: Enhances mitochondrial health and increases the number of these energy powerhouses, supporting NAD+ production.
• HIIT: Improves mitochondria efficiency and not the number of mitochondria, and promotes telomerase release: an enzyme that strengthens the telomeres- the protective caps on your DNA.
• Resistance training: Boosts IGF-1, which helps regulate essential hormones like testosterone and GH for tissue repair and growth.
• Additional factors: Remember the importance of a balanced diet, getting essential nutrients, and managing stress—all of this supports the pathways involved in NAD+ production.

Nutrition: Fueling Your Anti-Aging Journey

While exercise is potent in delaying aging, what you eat also profoundly impacts NAD+ levels and overall cellular health. A balanced diet with specific nutrients will optimize your body’s ability to produce and use NAD+.

Understanding NAD+ Precursors: Our bodies can synthesize NAD+ from certain forms of vitamin B3. These precursors include:

• Niacin: A direct precursor, readily converted into NAD+ within our cells.
• Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) and Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN): These compounds are further along the NAD+ synthesis pathway and may offer some advantages in absorption and utilization.
• Nicotinamide (NAM): Not a direct precursor, it supports NAD+ metabolism and offers numerous other health benefits

Power Up with Food: While supplements exist, you can boost your NAD+ levels naturally through the following foods rich in NAM and other NAD precursors:

• Meat: Beef, pork, chicken, turkey
• Fish: Salmon, tuna, trout, halibut
• Dairy: Milk, yogurt, cheese, eggs
• Legumes: Lentils, chickpeas, peas, beans
• Nuts & Seeds: Peanuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds
• Whole Grains: Brown rice, quinoa, oats, barley
• Vegetables: Mushrooms, potatoes, avocado, green peas
• Fruits: Bananas, avocado, tomatoes, dates

Important Notes:

• Your body’s ability to absorb and use NAD+ precursors from food can vary. Some individuals may benefit from supplementing with NR or NMN – consult a healthcare professional for guidance.
• A balanced diet goes beyond NAD+ support! Ensure you get a full spectrum of essential nutrients for optimal health and anti-aging effects.

Antioxidants: Your NAD+ Guardians

Think of NAD+ as the fuel that keeps your cells running smoothly and antioxidants as the guards that protect that fuel supply. Oxidative stress and inflammation created by poor diet and lifestyle choices generate free radicals. These free radicals damage cells and sabotage NAD+ levels.

Antioxidants neutralize these free radicals, safeguarding your NAD+ stores so cells, sirtuins, and mitochondria can function correctly.

The Antioxidant Advantage: Antioxidants fight inflammation and help preserve your NAD+ stores. To shield your cells from damage, prioritize various colorful fruits, vegetables, and other antioxidant-rich foods like dark chocolate and green tea.

Powerhouse Fruits:

• Berries: Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, cranberries – these little gems top the antioxidant charts. Enjoy them fresh, frozen, in smoothies, or sprinkled on yogurt.
• Pomegranate: Both the seeds and juice are packed with antioxidants.
• Citrus Fruits: Oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruits are rich in vitamin C, a potent antioxidant.

Vibrant Vegetables:

• Leafy Greens: Spinach, kale, Swiss chard, arugula, collard greens. Aim for at least one serving daily in salads, smoothies, or stir-fries.
• Cruciferous Veggies: Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage.
• Bell Peppers: Especially red, yellow, and orange varieties.
• Beets: These colorful root vegetables offer unique antioxidants called betalains.
• Others Include: Artichokes, carrots, and sweet potatoes.

Nuts and Seeds:

• Almonds, Pecans, Walnuts: Enjoy them as a snack, sprinkle them on salads, or blend them into nut butters.
• Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Chia Seeds, Flaxseed: Excellent for adding to yogurt, oatmeal, smoothies, or baked goods.

Other Antioxidant-Rich Foods:

• Dark Chocolate: Choose at least 70% cocoa content for maximum benefits.
• Beans: Especially kidney, pinto, and black beans.
• Spices: Turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, cloves.
• Green Tea: Loaded with a class of antioxidants called catechins.

The Big Picture

A balanced diet goes hand-in-hand with your anti-aging efforts. By prioritizing foods rich in nicotinamide (to boost NAD+ production), high in antioxidants (to protect your NAD+ supply), and exercise, you create a powerful defense against cellular decline, promoting overall health and vitality as you anti-age.

Check out my INSTANT STRENGTH book for resistance training.

To maximize stability, mobility, and flexibility, check out my book, THE BALANCED BODY.

To see great anti-aging exercises, methods, and techniques videos, subscribe to my YouTube channel, BALANCED BODY.