If you’re a baby boomer, you may be surprised by your aging body. Perhaps you’ve noticed that the condition of the body you always took for granted seemed to change… overnight! My body continues to surprise me. The skin above my knees is beginning to take on the folds of a Shar-Pei puppy, my forearms crinkle when I push my sleeves up, and I carry my own personal flotation device wherever I go. What’s with that? How does this happen? What makes our bodies age? I needed to know.

From my research, I learned that we age in two ways: genetically and metabolically. The first we can do little about; the second we have a great deal of control over.

Every strand of DNA in your body is capped on both ends, like the plastic ends of a shoelace, with something called a telomere. Likened to the leader tape at either end of an audiocassette, telomeres protect our genetic data. Each time a cell divides, the telomere is shortened. We cannot lengthen them or stop them from shortening. Over time, the ends become “frayed” and the cell receives a message to stop replicating. This process is called “aging.” Telomeres alone do not determine how long we live, but they are a key component.

Another key factor in aging is the formation of free radicals, toxic molecules that can lead to oxidative stress. These free radicals (isn’t that what they called many of us in the 1960s?) attack our cells, tissues, arteries and DNA. Some come from the environment (sunlight, pollution), and some are consumed (smoking, alcohol, and poor nutrition). Left unchecked, these oxidants ravage our bodies and can lead to cardiovascular disease and related ailments.

A third important factor in aging is glycation. Glucose (sugar) from the foods we eat binds to things it has no business binding to – DNA, proteins and fats – rendering them unable to do their jobs. Among other things, this compromises the collagen in our arteries and they eventually lose their elasticity and become rigid.

So What's An Aging Body To Do?

Taking excellent care of our body is a wise, but not always easy, choice. We are inundated with information about healthy aging: stop smoking, limit alcohol consumption, eat more healthfully and exercise regularly. Hearing these recommendations over and over, it’s easy to ignore them. “Oh yeah, I’ll start that next week. Oh yeah, I’ll do that tomorrow. Oh yeah, I do need to start exercising more.” And suddenly, you’re 50! 55! 60! Then you hear yourself saying, “Oh yeah, my cholesterol is high. Oh yeah, I don’t have the energy I used to have. Oh yeah, my skin looks like leather.” Oh NO! When it comes right down to it, we are products of the choices we make (and remember, doing nothing is also a choice). Ultimately, aside from inherited conditions and accidents, we all have the face, body and physical health we earn.

There are steps you can take to minimize your chances of being cut down in your prime.

The health gurus suggest we drink lots of pure water (half your body weight in ounces per day!) and choose organic foods whenever we can. (Pesticides collect in your body over time.) Eat fresh, colorful fruits and vegetables that are rich in antioxidants (vitamins A, C and E, CoQ10, alpha lipoic acid, selenium and cartenoids) to help combat free radicals and help prevent cancer, stroke and heart disease. Minimize the “white” foods: processed flour, sugar, potatoes, and rice. They suggest we take a daily antioxidant and a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement, and minimize our exposure to unhealthy factors such as cigarette smoke and junk food.

I learned that stress plays a big role in shortening telomeres and increasing free redicals, so it makes sense that learning to let go of the small stuff and incorporating some form of stress reduction (prayer, meditation, exercise, yoga) into your everyday life can actually help you live longer.

And last by certainly not least, we’re told to keep our weight down and exercise. For good reason! Exercise reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, lowers bad cholesterol, raises good cholesterol, fights osteoporosis, induces weight loss, improves bowel regularity, is a natural and non-addictive sleep aid, lowers blood sugar, reduces joint stiffness and is a mild antidepressant! “But I don’t like to exercise” doesn’t fly anymore – even moderate activity pays big dividends.If you think you don’t have time to exercise, how will you find the time to be ill?

Over the course of approximately seven years, every cell in your body (except for your brain) is being replaced with new cells. The health of those new cells will be determined by the quality of attention you give your body today – through exercise, diet and state of mind. So you see, how we age is mostly up to us!