A Telomere Tip for You

 If you're curious about healthy living, I have a telomere tip for you that may help you.  Please keep in mind that I'm not a doctor and it's always best practice to consult with your physician before making any changes having to do with your medications or treatment plans.  Today's message is inspired by my own journey to better health which was monitored by my cousin, a doctor who has a passion for learning why we get sick.  Dr. John Mulligan watched over me in his pilot study of one sick human who was willing to try his food experiment before being doomed to a life of high blood pressure pills.  He asked me to visit my primary care physician first and request a full lipid panel/cholesterol test so he could properly evaluate what would happen with my food changes.

My cousin's food experiment was for 45 days.  The idea was to live more like our caveman ancestors.  I consumed fruits, veggies, nuts, beans, and seeds.  My liquids were water and wine.  My primary care physician ordered a second lipid panel test at the end of 45 days.  The results were astonishing.  The sick human became healthy.  My cousin suspected that my ailments, high blood pressure readings, high cholesterol, and high triglycerides, may be food-related and he was right.  The blood pressure readings dropped almost immediately at the beginning of the experiment.  The good cholesterol doubled and the bad cholesterol reduced by 50%.  My high triglycerides also dropped to the normal range.  These results inspired me to dig deep and learn as much as I can about healthy living and share my lessons with others.  By the way, the food restrictions were only temporary.  The second part of the experiment was to slowly introduce other foods, one at a time while monitoring my blood pressure to see what foods were culprits.  As I understand it, my body was responding with inflammation from food choices that weren't good for me.  I now eat small amounts of red meat, and fish and keep my consumption of processed foods to a minimum.  My primary care physician says I'm a poster boy for good health.  Now it's time to share a telomere tip I've been reading about that may help you understand how your body functions.

Telomeres are the endcaps of your chromosomes.  Their job is to protect the chromosomes every time the cells divide.  Over time, the telomeres shorten.  When the telomeres no longer are around to protect the chromosomes, they start to get damaged.  Maybe you're asking, "what can I do to protect these telomeres?" There have been some studies done where certain groups have actually lengthened their telomeres by changing their diet.  Those consuming mostly fruits and veggies while reducing red meat consumption actually lengthened their own telomeres while the control groups ended up with shorter telomeres just like the rest of the general population.  

There are studies showing that people who exercise regularly have longer telomeres.  Other studies are about people who meditate and they also show these people have longer telomeres than the pilot groups.  If you are interested in this topic, talk with your doctor about what you can do to possibly increase the length of your telomeres through better food choices, increased exercise, and daily meditation.  Have a great day.