The days of our youth are often the best days of our lives. And many of us wish we could hold on to our youth forever. But as time goes on, doing so seems more and more impossible. Even though you cannot stay young forever, you can definitely stay younger for much longer. And one of the ways to do so is by controlling your environment to harness the power of your mitochondria, which are the organelles that power each and every cell in your body. The mitochondria are responsible for more generating more than 90 percent of cellular energy, which is crucial to sustain life and to support growth. Since there are more mitochondria in your body than there are cells or bacteria, they can have a huge impact on how you feel all the time.
Mitochondria contain enzymes that metabolize the sugars and fat you consume into cellular energy in order to keep your body running. And they are responsible for making thousands of decisions for your body each second. They even control which cells live, which ones die, and which ones become cancerous. They control how much energy your body produces and whether it is possible for you to grow new neurons or not. If you can make your mitochondria stronger, you will be able to feel more energetic and live a stronger and healthier life. Since your environment greatly affects your mitochondria, you can manipulate them by making some lifestyle changes. Here are some ways you can stay younger for longer by manipulating your mitochondria.
1. Eat Clean
It is rightly said that you are what you eat. If you eat a clean and healthy diet full of nutrients and antioxidants, you can even change your body at a subcellular level. Foods that are rich in sulfur and antioxidants help your mitochondria to thrive. So make sure to include plenty of sulfur-rich vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, radishes, turnips, garlic, leeks, kale, asparagus, cabbage, and chives into your diet. You should also start having more organic and grass-fed meats. Having seaweed once a week is also extremely good for your health.
2. Get Good Sleep
If you are constantly sleep deprived, it can wreak havoc on your mind and body. When you sleep, your mitochondria uses this time to remove toxins and other waste from your brain. Not getting enough sleep will stress your mitochondria and will eventually lead to mitochondrial dysfunction.
3. Engage In Some High-Intensity Exercise
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) involves alternating between fast, strenuous exercise and rest so that your muscles are pushed to their limits and are allowed to rest. Such types of exercise can improve mitochondrial function and brain performance. By engaging in HIIT at least twice a week you can strengthen your mitochondria to a great extent.
4. Avoid Unnatural Light
Since we spend most of our time indoors, it is quite impossible to avoid unnatural light, but you can make an effort to do so as much as you can. When natural sunlight reaches your eyes, it signals your mitochondria to wake up and when the sun sets, your mitochondria knows it’s time to sleep. But when you spend too much time in unnatural sunlight, it can interfere with this process. So when it’s time to go to bed, switch off all forms of light and embrace the darkness so that your mitochondria can rest too.
5. Stay Away From Chemical Pollutants
Chemicals in the environment negatively affect almost every part of your body, especially your mitochondria as they are so sensitive. Try and stay away from chemical pollutants as much as you can. You can fill your home with plants that purify air and you can get into the habit of wearing a protective mask whenever you step out.
