Caloric Restriction Longevity Benefits

By Alex Ariel Sanders

Whenever we hear that we have to eat less in order to lose weight we start envisioning ourselves as being deprived and starving. Losing weight is one of the benefits of caloric restriction (CR). The truth is that reduction of our caloric intake may lead to anti-aging health benefits as well! Experimental studies have even shown that it is possible live longer by eating less calories. Let us take a look at how to slow aging with caloric restriction.

One important fact to keep in mind is that caloric restriction (CR) is not necessarily equivalent to malnutrition if the nutrient values are dense. This is not about ending up starved but about being healthier with what is consumed by the body. Initially calories consumed can be lowered by changing not how much is eaten but what is eaten. It is not surprising that fruits and vegetables are lower in calories but have high nutrient density. If you are interested to slow aging with caloric restriction, eat a lot of those, as well grains, beans and fish.

Lessening the consumption of calories has been found to be effective towards longevity. There is also the absence of certain illnesses that are related to aging such as heart disease, hypertension and dementia to name a few. This is proven through modern experiments conducted on primates and mice.

In the studies mentioned above, the brains of the subjects were examined. It was found out that there was a statistically significant difference on the parts of the brain that are responsible for memory and cognition. The brain tissues of the animals on caloric restriction were experiencing less atrophy compared to the control group, which was fed healthy food but without any restriction regarding the amount. Mice and rats that ate 30% less calories increased their life span by 30%-40%.

A human male takes in a little over 2600 calories a day on average. However, it is quite impossible to specify the amount of calories everyone should consume. This is because of a couple of factors such as body size and metabolism. More so, different individuals engage in various amounts of physical activity on a daily basis. Two different individuals may consume the same amount and type of food but still vary in body weight because of the above-mentioned individual differences.

The way to slow aging with caloric restriction is to pay attention to how many calories you normally consume in a day. Do this over a period of about a month to establish a solid average number of calories. In the second month, reduce the number of calories per day by five percent. Do not starve yourself or leave yourself feeling hungry. Instead, simply replace some of the higher calorie foods in your diet with lower calorie foods that are dense in nutrients.

See your doctor and ask him to make a baseline for your cholesterol level, fasting blood sugar level and blood pressure. After that, start reducing your calorie consumption by 5 percent each month. Go to your doctor at the end of each month and have your statistics checked and recorded. The aging process is obviously slowed down if certain improvements can be noticed in the numbers indicated in the observations done. You can continue with the process of decreasing your caloric intake until the changes with your numbers come to a stop. This indicates that you have reached the healthiest level of calorie intake to make sure you are going to live longer and healthier.

Resveratrol, which is found in red wine and skin grapes, has been shown to mimic the effects of a caloric restricted diet. Studies have shown that in addition to potentially slowing the aging process, Resveratrol is the biggest medical discovery since antibiotics with many cardiovascular, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer benefits, just to name a few. If you want to slow aging with caloric restriction but the process seems too difficult to attempt, why not try nature's perfect supplement, Resveratrol?

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Relieve Stress: Massage Chairs Bring Reprieve

By Tim Allen

You can find many different massage therapies at a day spa to relieve your tensions and anxieties. Maybe we can make it to a day spa at least once a week or for the more fortunate, a few times a week. These occasional visits to the local day spa provides effective relief of built up stress. The build up of stress is ongoing and does not wait for us to go to the spa. Since most of us cannot make it daily to the day spa, our stress may be relieved when leaving the spa, but the anxiety and stress starts building the next day. A shiatsu massage chair recliner can provide daily stress relief in the comfort of home.

Studies have proven over and over that a therapeutic massage helps people feel less anxious and stressed, more relaxed, and more alert. A massage for stress relief aids in relaxation because it contributes to peace of mind and to an emotional feeling of well-being. A shiatsu massage chair helps to relieve aching and tired muscles helping one to relax.

Mentally, a massage improves one's ability to recognize and monitor stress, enabling them to respond appropriately. A massage for stress relief enables a person to think calmly and more creatively. Music during the massage helps to take the mind off the items that are perturbing it. This allows the whole body to relax. Massage chair manufacturers are including MP3 players in their massage chairs to help one to further relax.

Shiatsu massage recliners are designed to cover the entire back, the hips, thighs and buttocks, and also the calves and feet. Full body massages have been studied by researches and doctors documenting the positive impact of massage in reducing stress. As stress is reduced, patients have decreased blood pressure, heal faster, and have deeper sleep. A massage chair can provide these therapies postively impacting anxiety and stress build up and tension.

Massage therapy can help reduce depression. If the body is stressed and it cannot relax, then this can lead to anxiety which may start thoughts of negativity. Using a shiatsu massage chair daily can decrease anxiety and reduce tension which increases the body's energy and wellness. Increases in energy and wellness helps to increase one's self image by removing images of negative self-worth. Reverse the cycle with the help of a shiatsu massage chair.

Compliment your trips to the day spa with a shiatsu massage chair of your own. Enjoy daily relief in the pleasant surroundings of home. Take the stress out of your day and start each day fresh. Day spas have great treatments like wraps and peels. One day, these may be available in the massage chairs of the future. But presently massage chairs can only provide full body massages reducing your stress and anxiety. Shiatsu massage chairs can work wonders on your mental and physical well-being by reducing stress on a daily basis and not letting it build up.

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