5 Foods To Slow Aging, 4 Exercises For Strength & Coordination, And The 3-Part Framework For A Regret-Free Life
5 Foods To Slow Aging, 4 Exercises For Strength & Coordination, And The 3-Part Framework For A Regret-Free Life
Happy Thursday!
Here are the 3 things I want to share with you in the realm of longevity this week.
Let’s dive in.
🫀 Live Longer
The 5 Best Foods To Slow Aging
Whenever I see a “best health foods” list, I’m immediately skeptical.
But it seems extremely unlikely that eating these foods, in moderate quantities, will have any adverse effects.
And if they have the potential to help, why not try to eat more of them?
Here are the 5 best foods to slow aging, according to longevity experts:
Broccoli Sprouts can be effortlessly grown in your own kitchen (I’ve done it). Check out Dr. Rhonda Patrick’s guide to sprouting broccoli to get started and learn the science behind the anti-inflammatory compound, sulforaphane. Aim for 100g of broccoli sprouts or 40mg of broccoli sprout powder daily.
Pomegranate reportedly boosts mitophagy which is the removal of damaged mitochondria through autophagy – a critical process to maintaining proper cellular function. Sip pomegranate juice or eat pomegranate arils a few times per week.
Spinach is full of folate which reportedly has lifespan-extending effects. Eat it in salads, smoothies, or by the tightly-compressed fistful (like a roommate and I did as a ritual appetizer in our university days).
Strawberries contain more fisetin than any other food which helps to kill senescent cells in our body. Aim for ½ cup of strawberries every day or every other day.
Mushrooms are rich in ergo and glutathione—two of the most powerful antioxidants in our body. Adding 5 mushrooms daily can have profound effects.
💪 Feel Healthier
4 Exercises To Build Strength And Coordination
As I was reviewing my reading highlights, I came over the following “critical four” exercises outlined in The 4-Hour Body by Tim Ferriss.
If you want to challenge your strength, coordination, and stability, give them a try.
The exercises are listed in the order that you should learn them, as greater coordination is required as you move down the list.
As always, start slow and prioritize form before adding weight.
The following are excerpts from the book. For a more in-depth guide and rep/set structure for each movement, pick up a copy of the book or simply look them up online.
Chop and lift (C&L)
Chopping is a downward diagonal movement across the body from a high position to a low position
Lifting is the upward diagonal movement from a low position to a high position.
Turkish get-up (TGU)
“The TGU is an elegant solution that includes 9 discrete movements which, in combination, address all of the major muscle groups and planes of movement.”
Here is a video explaining and demonstrating the movement.
Two-arm single-leg deadlift (2SDL)
Simply perform the movement of a standard deadlift, except on a single leg with dumbbells or kettlebells.
Get comfortable with this movement before moving on to the one-arm variation below.
Cross-body one-arm single-leg deadlift (1SDL)
Stand on one foot, with about a 20-degree knee bend, and with the dumbbell or kettlebell placed to the inside of the supporting foot.
The other leg is in full extension behind the body and should not be externally or internally rotated. In other words, the toe of the rear leg should point toward the ground at all times.
Hinging at the hip, mimic a sitting movement and push your buttocks backward. Reach down and grab the weight with the arm opposite the standing leg. Use the free arm to balance. Imagine lifting the weight in a see-saw-like motion.
A significant amount of rotational torque is generated when you stand on one leg and pull a weight with the opposite arm. Preventing this rotation requires core stability, which is exactly what you’re trying to develop.
Set the weight down between each repetition. This rule (sets of one) will nudge your risk of deadlifting injury closer to zero.
Watch this video for a visual of how the movement is performed.
🧠 Cultivate Purpose
The 3-Part Framework For Lifestyle Design So That "Regret" Isn't In Your Vocabulary
How will the next 1, 5, and 10 years unfold?
I have been asking myself variations of that question a lot lately and living with the significant uncertainty it generates.
If you are like me, you also have a vision for what you want to be, do, and have.
To turn that vision into reality, conscious thinking and planning are required to determine the required actions to build the life you want.
So, I created a 3-part framework to help facilitate this planning and execution:
Step 1: Strategic Planning
Strategy is focused on setting medium and long-term goals in alignment with your values.
This stage is about finding your North Star—what do you want to be, do, and have in 1, 5, and 10 years?
BE (You): Who do you look up to? For what reasons? What person do you aspire to become (without forgetting the value in being yourself)?
DO (Time): How do you want to spend your days? (Job, Family, Friends, City)
HAVE (Things): What possessions will improve the quality of or remove pain points from your life?
Step 2: Tactical Approach
This layer is concerned with breaking long-term outcomes into daily and weekly actions.
It requires being an essentialist—setting a priority (ONE) in each of your life roles—and organizing your days around taking the few critical actions that will nudge you a little bit closer to that outcome each day.
What actions do you need to take today or this week to achieve your priority?
Is how you plan to spend your time and energy in alignment with your strategy (Step 1)?
Step 3: Execution
Execution exists in every moment of every day.
Are you executing on the actions you planned to?
Are you being effective and efficient with your time?
Are you saying “NO” to everything that doesn’t nudge you towards your North Star?
If you do not see measurable progress, no matter how small, but are confident in your tactical approach, it is a hint that your execution is off.
P.S. If you are living the vision you set for yourself, I’d love to hear from you. What do you think of this framework? Any suggestions?
That’s all!
Until next week,
Jack
If you have any feedback, I’d love to hear from you. What did you like or dislike? What do you want more or less of? Other suggestions? Please let me know. Just reply to this email, leave a comment, or send me a Tweet @jackrossdixon.