Why We Need To Reframe Our Approach To Aging

Jan 13, 2023

Explore the redefined concept of aging as a reversible dysfunction rather than an inevitable decline. Discover the importance of healthspan over lifespan through insights from 'blue zones.' Learn how personal purpose, or ikigai, fuels vitality and longevity. Dive into the functional medicine approach that targets underlying biological issues, advocating for lifestyle shifts. Finally, pick up daily habits that can unleash youthful energy and improve overall health.

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ANECDOTE

Centenarian Horseback Rider

Dr. Hyman encountered a 100-year-old man riding a horse in Costa Rica.
This demonstrates that it's possible to be active and healthy even at an advanced age.

INSIGHT

Purpose-Driven Longevity

Longevity isn't about living forever; it's about enhancing the quality of life.
Find your "ikigai," or reason for being, to live a longer, more purposeful life.

INSIGHT

Healthspan vs. Lifespan

Most people experience declining health in their later years, but this isn't inevitable.
Focus on extending "healthspan," or years of healthy life, rather than just lifespan.

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This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens and BiOptimizers.

Modern medicine treats each individual disease as if it were a distinct entity separate from everything else that happens in the body. Rather than study the root causes and underlying mechanisms of aging, we look for drugs to block abnormal processes and suppress symptoms. Functional Medicine provides a new road map for healthy aging—one in which we don’t view all diseases of aging as different things.

In today’s episode of my series I’m calling Health Bites, I discuss why we need to reframe our concept of aging, how and why we age the way we do, and what to do about it. What I’ve discovered has blown my mind and changed the way I approach my own health and the health of my patients. I’ve compiled it all into a new book called Young Forever, which comes out on February 21, 2023. Learn more and preorder the book at youngforeverbook.com.

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Here are more details from our interview (audio version / Apple Subscriber version):

It is possible to live into our 90s, 100s, and beyond disease-free, active, and mentally sharp (5:44 / 2:02)
Identifying your reason for being (7:54 / 4:42)
The difference between healthspan and life span (11:07 / 8:46)
The economic implications of a longer-lived population (12:24 / 10:40)
Our flawed framework of aging (16:02 / 13:40)
The Functional Medicine approach to aging (16:35 / 14:26)
It’s never too late to get started (20:09 / 19:48)