Age has no number

Tips to aging well

- Dr. KAYCEE REYES

It used to be that the 20s were thought to be the best years of one’s life. They say that these years are the peak of one’s health and vitality. But who says anybody has to stop being healthy after their 20s? In this age of advanced technology, constant research, and discovery, learn that one can live their healthiest and best years, no matter how old they are. In fact, age has no number.

Aging, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is the build-up of molecular and cellular damage through the years, leading to physical and mental deterioration and a higher risk for disease. WHO, however, also says that aging is not linear, as one can be sickly at 30, while another can be healthy at 60. But because of this tech-driven, fast-paced world, wherein almost anything can be done with a click or swipe, health has taken a back seat and, as a result, a lot may be aging faster than they should. Suddenly, younger people are getting heart attacks, stroke, and diabetes when, in fact, a lot of these chronic illnesses could have been preventable. Most of these chronic illnesses are caused by inflammation. If you take inflammation to only mean pain, think again. Called silent or low-grade chronic inflammation, it is a type of inflammation that lingers for years until it becomes a chronic illness. Unfortunately, the major cause of silent inflammation is the result of the environment that we live in, exposing us to a processed, nutrient-deficient, and fast food kind of life.

The good news is silent inflammation can be controlled. While a lot of people associate medicine with treating illnesses and pain, it shouldn’t be because the truth is medicine is not just for the sick. This is where preventive medicine comes in.