Boost Longevity, Improve Vitality, and Age With Grace: 4 Ways to Build Resilience From Within
Aging is an undeniable part of life.
But there’s an important distinction between aging well vs. resigning yourself to looking and feeling old.
From a holistic perspective, aging well isn’t just about living a long time.
It’s about prioritizing proactive practices and habits that keep you mentally sharp, emotionally sound, and physically equipped – for whatever life throws your way.
When you intentionally support your body in this way, you’re able to be more present and healthy in your everyday life – even as you age. Most importantly, you’re there for the people you love. This is the power of a health concept called longevity.
Defining Longevity
The goal of longevity medicine is to live as long as you can and be as healthy as you can.
There’s an equal focus on improving the quality and length of your life through intentional practices and technologies. It centers around your biological age (which can shift) instead of chronological age (aka, your age based on what year you were born).
Your biological age can be determined through testing, but it can be quite expensive. Similar to biohacking, there are a variety of approaches to longevity. Sometimes, longevity medicine includes tech-heavy and cutting-edge science.
Yet other times, the focus is on simple habits and environmental changes that can influence epigenetics. To us, longevity medicine isn’t about a reassuring number or stat. It’s about noticing how you feel daily and doing everything you can to support (and maintain) abundant health.
Either way, with longevity as the focal point of your health journey, you become more resilient to life’s ups and downs. Plus, the benefits don't hurt either. ;)
The Benefits of Longevity Medicine
You can’t put a price tag on a long, healthy life. When your body is functioning efficiently (or even at a lower biological age), you aren’t expending extra energy on basic functions. Intentionally focusing on longevity in your choices and habits helps:
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Support optimal functioning of your body’s systems – making you feel better + younger
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Build better resiliency to stress, illness, and injury
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Biologically age backward (hello glowing, plump skin!)
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Support mental stability and peace – and a more relaxed state of being
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Divert unused energy to deeper cellular healing
Now that we’ve covered the concept of longevity and how it benefits your quality of life, let’s get into how to implement it practically. The good news is there are many options to increase your longevity to live a full + healthy life.
Longevity Tip #1: Telomere Lengthening Practices
Even if you’ve never heard of telomeres, don’t write this one off! Telomeres are directly correlated to longevity, your body’s biological age, and how you feel daily.
Telomeres are the “end caps” of the DNA in your cells. They act as a buffer to protect your cells from damage. They’re often compared to the protective ends on shoelaces, keeping your DNA from fragmenting or fraying at the end, which would make them less effective.1
And as we know, healthier cells = healthier body and skin. ;)
Telomeres are an important biomarker when considering longevity and healthspan. Based on current science, we know shortened telomeres increase biological age. Shorter telomeres are even thought to be linked to several heart conditions.2
→ So, what can you do to lengthen telomeres and boost longevity?
Telomere lengthening practices are new to the field of medicine. Research and information are still emerging. But here are a few things that are thought to help lengthen telomeres:
Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Therapy
A popular biohack, this therapy is one of the most science-backed ways to lengthen telomeres. It uses a pressurized “chamber” to help your body absorb more oxygen more efficiently. In fact, your body is able to absorb up to 3x more oxygen than normal, sending it directly to your tissues.
A study from Israel found that hyperbaric oxygen therapy stopped the aging of red blood cells and lengthened telomeres.3 Athletes often use Hyperbaric oxygen to recover from injury and brain-related injuries. Technically, it’s an approved form of medicine in the Western medicine model, but many doctors still don’t utilize it.
While buying a hyperbaric chamber is a big initial investment, regular use is still probably more cost-effective than paying for treatments at a wellness clinic.
*Tip: Hard-shell chambers are ideal (and likely more effective), but soft-shell chambers are a more economical option.
Fasting
Fasting is incredible for overall health and longevity. When done correctly, fasting can provide a wide range of benefits to support longevity – including a cellular healing mechanism called autophagy.
Studies show that fasting can impact telomere length and contribute to overall longevity and health.7,8 Our founder Bethany has experienced impactful results with fasting. We’ll touch on some of the other benefits in a minute.
Herbal/Plant Medicine
While more research may need to be done, it’s worth noting some specific herbs/plants seem to be able to preserve telomere length with the potential to lengthen. Current research focuses on herbs and plants like:4,5,6
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Pennywort (an herb used in Traditional Chinese Medicine)
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Astragalus (another popular herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine)
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Maslinic acid (derived from olives)
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Resveratrol (a polyphenol compound found in many plant species)
While telomere research and science are still in their infancy, we think this important biomarker is worth considering in your quest for a long + healthy life.
Longevity Tip #2: Hormetic Stressors
If you want to live a long and healthy life, you need resiliency. One of the best ways to build resiliency and promote longevity is through stress.
Wait, what?
It’s true! The right kinds of stress can actually benefit your body.
→ It’s like the old saying, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
Hormetic stress is a specific kind of mild stress intentionally induced to build resiliency and longevity.9 Here are a few ways to implement hormetic stress for longevity:
Fasting
While great for telomere-lengthening potential, fasting is also known for the “good stress” it puts on your body. Even beginner practices like intermittent fasting or circadian fasting, which borrow from ancestral wisdom, have wide-reaching healing effects. Here’s what one article had to say about the link between fasting and human history:10
“For more than 99% of their history, humans lived as hunter-gatherers and adapted to restrictions in their food supply.”
The autophagy response from fasting helps clear out “old” or damaged cell parts and replace them with new ones. Some people say it actually helps you biologically age backward. (Yes, including fine lines and wrinkles!)
*Tip: If you want to learn more about fasting from a personal experience, read our founder’s post about her 6-day water fast. You can also tune into this episode of Grounded Wellness!
Cold Plunging
Cold plunging is more than just a cool fad. Cold plunging has been shown to:
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Reduce inflammation
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Boost mental clarity
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Reduce insulin resistance
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Activate brown fat tissue
These factors can influence longevity and support a long health span.
Spoiler alert: You don’t have to buy a fancy cold plunge tub! Simply pour ice into the bathtub or take a daily cold shower. This longevity practice has tried-and-true results. It helps you feel your best and builds mental and physical resilience.
*Tip: If you’re a woman, cycle-sync your cold plunging and avoid plunging during your menstrual cycle.
Heat Therapy
On the other end of the spectrum, heat therapy raises your core body temperature. This creates that same beneficial stress that builds resiliency over time.
Heat therapy activates heat shock proteins. These proteins act as a protective mechanism and make your cells more resistant to damage from stress.11,12 Heat therapy also increases blood flow, reduces inflammation, and improves cardiovascular health – among a longggg list of other notable benefits.
Exercise
Exercise is another hormetic stressor that builds muscle and endurance. Routine moderate exercise supports a healthy immune system, improves cardiovascular function, helps maintain homeostasis, and reduces the risk of various diseases. These benefits make it easy to see how exercise can impact longevity.
Sometimes, stress is a good thing. Try these hormetic stressors to boost longevity while embracing a new challenge outside your comfort zone. Next, let’s focus on another important biomarker: how well your body metabolizes glucose/blood sugar.
Longevity Tip #3: Balanced Blood Sugar
It goes without saying that we need to eat healthy foods if we want to live long. Metabolic health is intricately tied to longevity.
Beyond a whole-food, organic, and regenerative diet, how you pair meals and different foods can have a lasting impact on longevity.
Imbalanced blood sugar can lead to a wide range of dysregulation within your body – some immediate and some long-term issues. Plus, high blood sugar can also affect your skin, contributing to issues like:
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Excess oil production
Thankfully, with a little work, you can maintain balanced blood sugar through healthy eating habits and movement.
Balanced Nutrition
When planning meals, aim to eat protein, fat, fiber, and carbs together. This helps stabilize blood sugar and avoid large spikes, which are common with meals high in carbs. Here are a few other specific tips:
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Focus on protein-rich foods as they’re especially important for cellular health and your body’s foundational skeletal muscle.
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Avoid excess sugar, gluten, and alcohol to prevent blood sugar spikes. (Especially before bed – blood spikes can prevent deep sleep!)
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Make sure to stay hydrated. Studies show dehydration contributes to blood sugar issues.13
Muscle Building/Strength Training
As Dr. Gabrielle Lyon from our expert panel talks about, muscle is key for glucose regulation (it’s also one of the best ways to age gracefully). She even calls muscle the body’s “metabolic sink” – aka, how your body disposes of glucose.
The more muscle you have available, the better your body can process and metabolize glucose into energy instead of letting it run rampant, causing issues. While strength training is important, there are still small ways to build muscle and balance blood sugar through movement:
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Do 10-15 squats after eating
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Take a walk after eating
Implement these tips to support balanced blood sugar and full-body health. Being proactive about blood sugar can help protect you from metabolic diseases down the road and promote longevity. Up next: clearing out the toxins.
Longevity Tip #4: Detoxing + Cleansing
Detoxing and supporting your detox pathways is critical for longevity. Especially in today’s world. We’re all exposed to our fair share of toxic exposures. Even if you live a non-toxic lifestyle, there are simply too many factors outside of your control.
Detoxing is a great way to help your body rid itself of toxins so it can do its best work. These are some of the most effective ways to detox + cleanse your body:
Non-Toxic Swaps
Start with the toxins in your everyday environment as a longevity hack to decrease overall exposure. This can range from swapping personal care products to clothing and home products.
*Tip: Check out this collaboration with Dr. Burkart, a PhD toxicologist, for a comprehensive guide to building a non-toxic life, step by step.
Lymphatic Care
Your lymphatic system is one of the primary ways your body removes toxins, waste, and buildup. It also cleanses your blood and tissues. But this hardworking system can become stagnant and need a bit of a kickstart. This is where lymphatic practices come in.
Lymphatic drainage also helps naturally clear skin by bringing fresh blood flow to the tissue (fresh nutrients and glow). There are many ways to activate your lymphatic system, but here are a few of our favorite lymphatic practices to support longevity:
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Dry brushing – this practice helps push out stagnant waste. It also activates your parasympathetic response through gentle, rhythmic brushing patterns.
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Rebounding – a simple practice with a big impact. Rebounding involves jumping on a mini/personal-sized trampoline. It’s fun, gives you a bit of a workout, and does wonders to get lymphatic fluid moving!
*Tip: Make sure your trampoline is made with bungee cords, not springs – this will improve the results for your lymphatic system.
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Massage/Movement – this is a favorite at Primally Pure. ;) We love using movement to slow down, be present, and encourage the skin to heal from within. Massage not only stimulates lymphatic drainage – it helps build muscle, tone, depuff, and support circulation. (What can’t it do?)
Sauna
Sweating is really good for you. Sweat is one of the most potent detox pathways, helping your body eliminate toxins like:
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Heavy metals14
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Pthalates15
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BPA16
But beyond sweat, regular sauna use is also associated with a long list of health benefits that support longevity, like:17
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Heart health
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Blood pressure
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Total cholesterol
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Improved anxiety and depression
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Oxygenation to muscles and tissues during exercise
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Decreased inflammation
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Less chronic fatigue
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Improved immune function
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Lower all-cause mortality18
Magnesium Baths
Magnesium baths combine two longevity boosters – heat therapy and detox. Plus, one study showed a hot bath can burn as many calories as a 30-minute walk!12Magnesium helps your body gently detox and relax. It supports hundreds of essential reactions and functions within your body. It’s an obvious addition if longevity is your goal.
Sleep Hygiene
Quality, restorative sleep deeply benefits your entire body – from mental clarity and energy levels to skin and immune function.19 What you may not know is that sleep is also related to detoxification.
The glymphatic system is a newly discovered system that supports and detoxes your central nervous system and, more specifically, your brain during sleep. Researchers have found that your brain removes proteins associated with Alzheimer’s at twice the rate in sleep!20,21
To achieve better + more restorative sleep, you can work on sleep hygiene. This involves “cleaning up” your sleep routine. Everything is a factor, from what you do during the day to how you spend the last few hours before bed. This is great news – you have the power to easily start improving your sleep – and longevity.
*Tip: Check out our ultimate sleep guide for more tips on how to improve your sleep.
Giving your body the detox support it needs means it’s less burdened and functioning optimally. And there’s a solid chance that efficiency in your body also leads to longevity. ;)
Resilient Aging: Increasing Your Healthspan
Thanks to research and modern-day knowledge, there are many ways we can tangibly improve our healthspan and longevity to embrace every day in health and abundance. Try implementing some of these concepts into your routine and see how you feel.
Even if you never get fancy testing done or confirm you’re biologically aging backward, it’s pretty easy to know when your body is running at its best – you just feel it.
In good health,
XO
Sources:
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National Library of Medicine | Fasting for Stem Cell Rejuvenation
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National Library of Medicine | Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, and Mercury in Sweat: A Systematic Review
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National Library of Medicine | Human Excretion of Bisphenol A: Blood, Urine, and Sweat (BUS) Study
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National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute | Why Is Sleep Important?
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National Library of Medicine | The Glymphatic System – A Beginner’s Guide
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