© Numero Unoma
They say none of us is getting out of here alive, and that you’ve got to die of something. I think it’s always best to focus on positive things though, so while we are busy acting out our individual interpretations of YOLO, let’s do it in such a way as to get the best ride possible on this dizzy spin of a journey around the sun. Let’s remember never to forget that there is no greater wealth than health. Take a moment to let that sink in, people, because April 7 is World Health Day.
Health is often associated with youth, as though it is not something that can be enjoyed after a certain cut-off date. We live in a world that is obsessed with youth culture, being young and looking young. I suppose that’s quite natural given that half of Nigeria’s population is no older than 19, and most of Africa shows a similar distribution. Incidentally, those who make up the other half of Nigeria’s population are by no means old, with only about 9% of that number being upwards of 60 years old.
One thing that comes with having this many young folks, is a swell of the hubris of youth. Over thousands of years, young humans have floated around on a cloud of perceived immortality. At 20, the concept of death seems not just abstract, but also far-off and distant. And with that comes a contempt for age and older generations. Youth is a stage when one’s body forgives excesses much more easily, giving no hint of the decline that lies before one, in the not too distant future. The illusion of being invincible often causes young people to think that they know everything better. By the way, even the ageing and aged were once guilty of this phenomenon, many moons ago in their youth. It’s all good…it’s perfectly natural. Na small pikin day worry una. Once upon a time, age was revered in our cultures, and there was an automatic respect, which it seems only the Yoruba culture has managed to preserve to some degree. It has not helped that too many old fools among the elders have abused this right to respect. A young man in the traffic in Benin City once abused an elder who was driving too slowly for his liking. “Stupid old man, move now!”, to which the elder retorted “may you never grow old”. A curious scene ensued, in which the young man ended up having to park his car and get out to humbly apologise and beg the old man to retract his curse. What he had suddenly realised was that his youth was not worth much if he could not also grow old one day. No matter how much a young person despises an older one, they still have to hope to live to that age, and they must remember that tomorrow is not promised any of us. But anyway…. I digress.
Apparently in the last century, our average lifespan has increased from 46 to 75 years. This is projected to exceed 85 by 2050. Obviously these numbers are more relevant for so-called developed countries, which can afford important prerequisites such as better healthcare, diet and lifestyle for their citizens.
These days there are theories and sciences aimed at understanding how to extend the human lifespan, as well how to look younger than one’s chronological age. While it is easy to understand the allure that these possibilities might have, the main thing not to lose sight of, is that growing old can be a frightening experience if one does not have good health.
Certainly, even if you do everything right from the minute you are conceived, the human organism has a pre-programmed shelf life, aka lifespan. The science backing some of the theories surrounding longevity and lifespan extension can offer some insight into how certain habits and lifestyles can adversely affect human health, or for that matter might benefit it.
A good starting point is to understand the difference between one’s chronological and biological age. The former is self-explanatory. It has to do with the amount of time that has passed since one’s birth, and this number cannot be in any way influenced or changed, except by death.
Biological age, on the other hand has to do with the condition of one’s cells and organs, relative to what they are expected to be on average at a certain age. It is also known as physiological or functional age, and takes into consideration things like genetics, lifestyle, nutrition and health. Medical professionals use this information in mathematical models that evaluate biological health, which can be either ‘younger’ or ‘older’ than chronological or actual age.
Those interested in Agerasia, or an outward appearance more youthful than one’s true age, understand that on average only about 10% of ageing is down to one’s genes. 90% of it is caused by the myriad of ‘environmental’ factors that make best or worst use of the gifts of our genetics. Epigenetics refers to the ways in which cells ‘read’ our DNA, and whether this ‘genetic expression’ is good or bad depends on what you give your genes to work with. Are you giving them regular exercise, low pollution and plenty of sleep to work with? Then you can expect hopefully to look and feel younger than your age. Or are you giving them substance misuse, in the form of cigarette smoking and too much alcohol to work with, while not exercising enough? Well then don’t be surprised if your skin and organs age faster than normal, or if indeed you cause your cells to manifest cancerous growths stimulated by the carcinogens you have poisoned your system with.
The perennial struggle of nature vs nurture is real. So is the fact that healthy living leads to healthy ageing. A good maxim to live by is ‘prevention is better than cure’. It is not just better, it is also less expensive and painful. Physical and psychological health are very closely related. Physically healthy people tend also to be mentally healthier. The former requires a certain level of discipline, and a certain consistency over time, of good habits. Keeping good habits has been found to impact positively on health and life span.
Some habits worth considering include:
Nutrition – not only should the quality of food be good, but the quantity should also be monitored. Overeating is unhealthy, and there is a lot of focus currently, on the link between calorie intake and longevity. Nuts and greens are examples of go-to foods, as is turmeric. Drinking coffee and or tea moderately is another healthy addition to one’s diet, potentially reducing one’s risk of getting cancer, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimers and Parkinson’s.
Exercise – as little as 15 minutes a day will not just reduce the risk of premature death, but could add up to three years onto one’s lifespan.
Happiness – Mental health is all about prioritising your happiness, which has been scientifically proven to aid health, wellbeing and longevity. Another crucial aspect of good mental health is the nurturing of social connections and circles. Reducing stress and anxiety are also crucial to physical and mental health.
Sleep – Much more is understood these days about just how important sleep is to health and lifespan.
Pollution – this is a major factor in epigenetics. Pollution is ubiquitous, as it could be of the air, water, nutrition, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and even sound waves and airwaves. The causes of pollution are too many to mention, but here are some one might try to avoid:
Air – vehicles, generators, deep frying, plastics, industry, deforestation
Water – water table pollution through sewage or industrial waste
Nutrition – soil quality, fertilisers, pesticides
Cosmetics – our skin is the largest organ, and absorbs substances, which it sends into our bloodstream. This is why treatments like nicotine or hormone patches work. We know that among other harmful chemicals, very many cosmetics contain a form of preservative called parabens. Parabens extend the shelf life of products, but the price we pay for this is a greater likelihood of getting cancer.
Pharmaceuticals – most drugs treat symptoms not underlying conditions, and have all manner of side-effects, many of which are understated. Remember, Big Pharma needs us not to be healthy, or they would go out of business.
Sound waves – noise pollution is a huge stress factor – Think of the unnecessary over-use of car horns, or people who watch videos on their phone at top volume, while sitting in a public space where there is already background music playing. Just as bad are those who insist on conducting a full telephone conversation on loudspeaker, or blaring loud music, such as many churche3s and bad neighbours do.
Airwaves – EMF stands for Electromagnetic field or fog. Sources of EMF include computers, tablets, cell phones, modems, wifi boosters, TVs, the list is endless. The EMF is denser now because of the sheer number of devices we use.
I hope that you will all consider a healthier lifestyle after reading this article. Let’s aim for less pollution and more healthy choices. You don’t have to make a whole bunch of major changes all at once. Small decreases of bad things and small increases of good things will incrementally improve the quality of your habits, and I promise you that you will soon feel healthier and happier. Plus if the science is right, you should also find yourself living a longer life too!