NATURAL HEALTH Beyond surviving, to thriving

EARTHLY GOODS?Plant-based nutrition is vital to healthy ageing.  

Beyond surviving, to thriving


Natural Health
Collen Kennedy

Energy levels tend to decline as we age. We are effectively slowly deteriorating from youth to old age as we become more susceptible to the negative effects of stress, physically, mentally and emotionally. However, we can slow down this process and improve our quality of life by changing how we deal with the stressors.
Why do certain cultures enjoy longer life expectancies than others? Recently, various hotspots around the world have been identified in a worldwide study undertaken by the National Geographic and some of the best longevity researchers in  the US. In these areas, named Blue Zones, it’s not uncommon to see people living active, healthy lives beyond 100 years.
Based on the results of a trial in the US, where a Blue Zone Project increased life spans by up to three years in just one year and cut health claims by almost 50 percent, Blue Zone principles are being rolled out throughout cities all over the US.
The original zones were the Italian island of Sardinia, the Greek island of Ikaria (‘The island where people forget to die’), Loma Linda in California, Okinawa in Japan and Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica.
Oh yes, I can see the sandy beaches and turquoise sea too, but there are a few other common denominators here to explore.

• Less stress and more socialising
• Strong emphasis on family
• Fresh natural plant-based diet
• Very little red meat
• Daily exercise
• Living their lives with a sense of purpose
• Strong spiritual belief system

This is, in other words, the naturopathic way of living. There’s nothing too difficult to achieve here: a balanced way of life, where people respect themselves and their surroundings.
Although 30 percent of our life expectancy is down to genetics, the other 70 percent is up to us. We can do much for ourselves to slow down the ageing process through good nutrition and the use of plant medicine.
We see from above that a fresh plant-based diet is the way to go, but why? Plants as our primary fodder provide us with many phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Antioxidants are top of the list of specific anti-ageing ingredients, as they offset free-radical damage to the cells. Plant-based diets reduce our risk of degenerative diseases and provide our cells with fuel for renewal, protection and optimum functioning.
Beans and legumes, a component of plant-based diets, provide us with protein for cell growth and repair and fibre to help our bowels function well.

Stress
What is of equal importance is the reduction of stress in our daily lives. It is as much a physical metabolic process as it is emotional. Stress will basically interfere with how your body metabolises your food into energy. So you could have a great diet, but you might not absorb it properly due to stress levels in the body, leaving you tired and irritable.
So we do need to take the foot off the gas a little, breath and relax, learn to laugh at ourselves and take time out to socialise with others. Herbal medicine has a bounty of plants that help us adapt to the stressors around us. Sometimes we cannot change a situation, but we can change our way of dealing with it.
Adaptogens form one category in herbal medicine. These help our endocrine systems, support the adrenal glands and enhance our immune activity, strengthening us from the core. In my clinic, I commonly use ashwaganda, damiana, Siberian ginseng, shatavari, reishi and tulsi.
Nervines, another category, support our nervous system, help us to unwind, also relax our musculoskeletal system and our digestion. Some of my favourites are skullcap, oats, passionflower and valerian.
The final category is bitters – herbs that stimulate the bitter receptors on the tongue, thereby stimulating a cascade of digestive secretions through the gastro-intestinal tract. Our native dandelion root is a fine example of this type of herb.
Because we all react differently to our various stressors, and because each herb has an affinity with different aspects and areas of our body, it can be useful to get a personalised plan from a herbalist, who will help decipher which herbs may suit best. You should always check with your herbalist or GP before taking any herbal medicine.

Colleen Kennedy Dip Herb, ND is a registered Herbalist and Naturopath. She runs a clinic in the Body and Mind Health Centre, Rosbeg, Westport. For more information, contact her on 087 9942291 or visit www.herbalhealthcare.ie.