Written by Siddarth Saikia

When people think of living longer, they think about their body.They think about exercise, diet and nutrition. But research shows that state of ones mind is as important, if not more, than the state of ones body.

Dan Buettner and Dr. Tom Perls were interviewed on CBS' Early Show yesterday and they talked about the importance of mental states in increasing one's longevity. Dr. Perls mentioned the importance of the cognitive condition in increasing longevity. Research in the Blue Zones has shown that people with a close-knit support system who have found some higher purpose, be it though spirituality, religion or even volunteering, live longer than the average person.

Watch the segment here: http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=4282088n?source=search_video

Written by Siddarth Saikia

Listen to the mp3 of Dan Buettner being interviewed by Experience Life Magazine. Follow a conversation about the Power 9, finding a purpose and eating right as well as why Blue Zones and learning about longevity isn't just for old folks.

Listen Here: http://www.experiencelifemag.com/audio/11-19-05DanBuettner.mp3

Written by Siddarth Saikia

A new study has found that Resveratrol, a compound extracted from red grapes, improves health and prevents age-related deterioration but does not increase overall longevity.

The study, a collaborative effort between the Laboratory of Experimental Gerontology at the NIA and Glenn Laboratories for Molecular Biology of Aging at Harvard Medical School, tested the results of Resveratrol on mice. Resveratrol prevented the onset of age-related diseases and mice which had been fed the drug showed a considerable improvement in cardiovascular function that other mice of the same age. They also had better balance and motor co-ordination, thicker bone density and a decrease in the onset of cataracts.

Perhaps the most interesting find was that Resveratrol mimiced some of the consequences of calorie restriction. Mice treated with Resveratrol reacted in a similar way to mice that had been given a low-calorie diet. However, Resveratrol did not have an effect on how long the mice lived.

"We are learning a great deal about how resveratrol affects the health and survival of mammals," said David A. Sinclair, Ph.D., of the Glenn Laboratories for Molecular Biology of Aging at Harvard Medical Schoo "Continued study of calorie restriction mimetics such as resveratrol may eventually point the way to new medicines to treat diseases of aging."

Read the complete report here.

In our research of Blue Zones populations we found that the long-living people of Sardinia regularly drink the regions wine which is high in anti-oxidants and made of red grapes -- the source of Resveratrol. So deciding to use Resveratrol is your choice but we've always recommended moderate usage of Sardinian wine.

Written by Kathryn Savage

Enjoying summer means getting outside, grilling, biking and going to the beach.
This is the time of year when gardens thrive, tans come back into style and bugs go wild. It’s also an important time of year to think about your skin. Not showing it off (well, that too!) but most importantly taking care of it.

While numerous studies suggest that vitamin D is extremely beneficial, this does not mean that we should be making those homemade aluminum foil sun reflector trays ala There’s Something About Mary, sticking them under our chins, hopping on a lawn chair and lathering up the baby oil. While a dose of vitamin D does a body good, it’s important to protect skin against a host of other environmentally derived nasties, sunburn, wrinkles and skin cancer.

The good news is, most forms of skin cancer can be prevented by a few easy to remember tips:

• While we get vitamin D from the sun, we can also ingest it in supplement form. Consult a local health foods store.
• Wear sunscreen on your face and arms everyday (the parts of your body that get the most sun exposure) and when you spend long hours outside, working on your garden this weekend, apply lots of sunscreen first. When you are shopping for sunscreen, pick an SPF  (Sun Protection Factor) of at least 15. Pick a broad-spectrum sunscreen, too. Most sunscreens these days are broad-spectrum, meaning they will protect you from ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. If you are planning on swimming, be sure you pick a waterproof variety.

How to keep skin healthy for the long term?
While there is no “miracle in a bottle” much to advertisers disdain, experts suggest using lots of moisturizer with an SPF, and cleansing your skin regularly. In need of some longevity skin care tricks? Stanford Universities Longevity Center has a great article on healthy skin for life that I highly suggest!

Happy SPFing!

Written by Siddarth Saikia

I know what you're thinking: "yeah right, like I really need this guy to tell me how to relax. Turn on the TV, hand me beer and I'm done." It seems like the easiest thing to do in the world, just sit back and chill out.

But it's not. Daily life exerts a lot of mental stress and some it goes unnoticed. Try sitting back and thinking about nothing and you'll see how hard it is. You just can't help thinking about work, bills, relationships, the elections, taking your dog for a walk et cetera et cetera. Truly relaxing in a short period of time is an art form. We call it Downshifting: taking a few minutes out of your day to relax and clear your head. So here are four tips to help you:

• Take a nap. Modern living isn't very accommodating to sleep but you can make up for that by reducing stress, increasing productivity and alertness by taking a 20-30 minute nap during the day. In Japan it's called 'inemuri' which means "to be asleep while present."
  
• Pray, if you're the religiously inclined. Taking a little time out of your day to recognize whichever God you believe in has a peculiar knack of putting all your problems in perspective.
  
• Meditate with breathing exercises. We all know that meditation seems a lot easier than it actually is but clearing your mind by simply focusing on your breathing can relax your mind and body.
  
• Close your eyes and listen to some calm music. Some of us have trouble falling asleep fast enough to nap during a lunch break. But simply shutting your eyes and relaxing without sleeping does wonders for your stress, productivity and apparently your genes.

By doing this in the middle of the day you can increase your productivity ("Hey boss, I've been napping in the afternoons, how about that raise?"), pick up your energy levels and, according to a recent study, change your genetic make-up.

Take it easy.