How to Age Well: 9 Lifestyle Changes to Improve Your Health
Aging is an inevitable part of life, but the quality of our later years—our health span—is something we can influence. We can’t stop time but we can take steps to support our bodies to stay strong and vibrant as we get older.
Modern science and Ayurveda help us understand the key processes that drive aging. They also show us what we can do to slow aging processes and lengthen our health span.
Let’s explore the 9 mechanisms of aging and how you can use Ayurvedic practices to stay healthy for years to come.
#1 - DNA Damage: Protecting Your Body’s Blueprint
What it is: Your DNA is like an instruction manual for your cells. Over time, it can get damaged by pollution, toxins, UV rays, and even stress. Damaged DNA can lead to aging and disease.
What to do:
Eat antioxidant-rich foods like berries, leafy greens, and turmeric to protect your DNA.
Avoid processed foods, excess alcohol, and environmental toxins.
Try this: Start your day with golden milk—a warm blend of your favorite milk, turmeric, and black pepper—to support cellular repair.
#2 - Telomere Shortening: Keep Your Cells Young
What it is: Telomeres are the protective “caps” at the ends of your DNA strands. Every time a cell divides, telomeres shorten. These shorter telomeres are linked to faster aging and disease.
What to do:
Reduce stress to slow down, which can speed up telomere shortening.
Practice meditation and breathwork to protect your cells.
Try this: Dedicate five minutes daily to deep belly breathing or Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) to support your mind and cells.
#3 - Epigenetic Changes: Control Your Genetic “Switches”
What it is: Your genes don’t change, but how they are “expressed” does. This is influenced by your lifestyle, diet, and environment.
What to do:
Follow a consistent daily routine (dinacharya) to balance your body’s natural rhythms.
Eat fresh, whole foods and reduce stress to encourage healthy gene expression.
Try this: Create a consistent morning routine to remove toxins, promote digestion, and support your overall health.
#4 - Protein Damage: Clear Out Cellular Junk
What it is: Damaged proteins build up in cells over time, making them less efficient and leading to aging and disease. Your body has a built-in cleanup system called autophagy that clears out these damaged proteins.
What to do:
Fasting overnight triggers autophagy, allowing your body to clean up and repair itself.
Avoid overeating and ultra-processed foods.
Try This: Practice a 12-hour overnight fast to support cellular cleanup. For example, finish dinner by 7 pm and don’t eat breakfast at 7 am the next morning.
#5 - Nutrient Imbalance: Eat for Energy
What it is: Your body needs balance between “building” and “breaking down” nutrients. Constant eating and poor food choices can disrupt this balance, leading to inflammation and weight gain.
What to do:
Eat your biggest meal at midday when digestion is strongest.
Focus on nutrient-dense foods like whole grains, legumes, and healthy fats.
Try this: Make kitchari–a nourishing Ayurvedic meal–your go-to lunch for easy digestion and balanced nutrition.
#6 - Mitochondrial Decline: Boost Your Energy Powerhouses
What it is: Mitochondria are the energy factories of your cells. As they weaken with age, energy levels drop, and the risk of disease increases.
What to do:
Move every day—exercise helps mitochondria function better.
Eat foods rich in healthy fats (like nuts, seeds, and olive oil) to support mitochondrial health
Try this: Start your day with a brisk walk or gentle yoga to energize your body and enhance mitochondrial function.
#7 - Senescent Cells: Remove "Zombie" Cells
What it is: Some old cells refuse to die, causing inflammation and damage in the body. These are called senescent cells—and they speed up aging.
What to do:
Regular detoxification helps remove senescent cells.
Ayurvedic cleansing practices, like seasonal kitchari cleanses, support cell renewal.
Try this: Do a 3-day reset each season to reboot digestion and promote cellular repair.
#8 - Stem Cell Exhaustion: Rejuvenating the Repair System
What it is: Stem cells are special cells that help repair damaged tissues. As we age, stem cell function declines, slowing down healing and renewal.
What to do:
Eat foods rich in omega-3s (like walnuts, flaxseeds, and chia seeds) to support stem cell health.
Prioritize restorative practices like fasting and gentle movement.
Try this: Add chia seeds or flaxseeds to your smoothies, oatmeal, or salads to boost tissue repair.
#9 - Chronic Inflammation: Keep It Cool
What it is: Long-term, low-grade inflammation (often called "inflammaging") contributes to many age-related diseases, like heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis.
What to do:
Eat an anti-inflammatory diet with lots of leafy greens, berries, turmeric, and fatty fish.
Support digestion and detoxification to reduce inflammation.
Try this: Make my 3-ingredient digestive tea—boil cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds in water and sip throughout the day for better digestion and reduced inflammation.
Someone asked me recently: Is it ever too late to start taking care of your health span?
My answer? It’s NEVER too late. Even tiny changes–like reducing stress, eating well, and following Ayurvedic practices–can slow aging and boost your vitality.
This isn’t about anti-aging, but living longer with energy, grace, and strength.
Be well,
Avanti Kumar-Singh, MD
P.S. Want to learn more about these mechanisms of aging? I go into detail in my book, The Longevity Formula.
