We have all heard the age-old adage, “It’s not the years in your life, but the life in your years that counts.” This rings particularly true when we consider the concepts of lifespan and healthspan.
While the term lifespan refers to the total years one lives, healthspan delves into the quality of those years. Healthspan encompasses the period in an individual’s life that they remain healthy, free from chronic diseases or disabilities.1
The ultimate goal? To make our healthspan equal to our lifespan.
While advances in medical science have successfully prolonged lifespan, extending the years we spend in good health—our healthspan—is a more nuanced challenge.
An enhanced healthspan reduces the time we spend suffering from age-related diseases and frailty, translating into improved personal wellbeing and reduced healthcare costs.
Hence, directing our efforts towards enhancing healthspan is a valuable investment for a fulfilling, vibrant life.
To optimize your healthspan, it’s essential to understand that good health is an amalgamation of many factors, including nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and mental well-being.
Our dietary choices profoundly impact our healthspan. A balanced diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, and healthy fats, provides essential nutrients needed for optimal bodily function.2
Inadequate nutrition can hasten the onset of health issues, shortening our healthspan.
Terranova Life Drink provides a deeply nourishing, intensely synergistic, energising foundation to cover those categories that are either missing from or are found in insufficient quantities in multivitamins and other supplements.
It contains only naturally occurring nutrients and is designed to provide efficiently utilised nourishment.
Life Drink is a multi-award-winning powder that’s been designed with the intelligence of nature in mind and combined with modern technology to deliver a solid nutritional foundation from which to optimize your health.
Physical activity is another critical player in extending your healthspan. Regular exercise can help manage weight, improve heart health, boost mood, and delay the onset of age-related diseases.5
The World Health Organization recommends adults (18-64 years) should complete at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity weekly.6
Omega-3s are known for their anti-inflammatory properties and may help with recovery and joint health. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish oil supplements, are linked to heart health and cognitive function.3
Coyne Purest Omega 3 boasts a leading TOTOX score (which measures oxidation), meaning it is one of the freshest and purest omega-3’s.
Omega-3 is sourced from wild Alaskan fish and delivers high potency EPA-DHA per capsule for optimal health and well-being.
Important for bone health and immune function, it also plays a role in muscle function. Vitamin D deficiency is quite common and may impact athletic performance.11
Similarly, vitamin D, which can be challenging to obtain solely from diet, supports immune function and bone health.4
Phytomist™ Vitamin D3 + K2 Oral Spray and Phytomist™ Vitamin D3 Spray offer convenient and effective ways to boost your Vitamin D levels, subsequently contributing to better bone and joint health.
Sleep plays a significant role in healthspan. Chronic sleep deprivation is linked to an array of health complications, from heart disease to mental health disorders.7
Prioritizing sleep hygiene – creating a comfortable sleep environment, maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, ensuring the sleeping environment is cool around (18°C), and avoiding stimulants like caffeine close to bedtime – can significantly improve sleep quality.8
Getting good quality sleep often starts with good sleep practices and habits, however, for some people, that’s not enough and sleep-promoting supplementation may be needed.
The Phytoceutics™ sleep support range includes a variety of high-quality, and highly researched products to help you relax, get more sleep, and get better quality sleep.
Mental well-being and stress management are often overlooked facets of healthspan. Chronic stress can cause physical, emotional, and behavioural symptoms (e.g., trouble sleeping, low immunity, and digestive issues).9
Even more seriously, heart disease risk increases significantly due to chronic stress, as do mental health issues (like depression and anxiety).
Along with a holistic approach to reducing stress, a healthy diet, and other lifestyle changes, dietary supplements may be able to help you manage stress.
The Phytoceutics™ Stress / Anxiety range includes a variety of innovative, high-quality, and researched products you can trust to help manage stress and in turn assist with your mental health and physical well-being.
As we journey towards a robust healthspan, it’s vital to remember that every individual is unique. What works for one person may not work for another.
Thus, a personalized approach to wellness, considering your unique genetic makeup, lifestyle, and health status, will yield the most beneficial results.
Investing in your health today is the surest way to enjoy a vibrant tomorrow. With consistent effort and small lifestyle tweaks, you can look forward to a long, fulfilling healthspan that matches your lifespan.
| # | References |
|---|---|
| 1 | Seals DR, Justice JN, LaRocca TJ. Physiological geroscience: targeting function to increase healthspan and achieve optimal longevity. J Physiol. 2016 Apr 15;594(8):2001-24. Physiological geroscience: targeting function to increase healthspan and achieve optimal longevity |
| 2 | Harvard School of Public Health. The Nutrition Source. 2023. Healthy Eating Plate |
| 3 | Swanson D, Block R, Mousa SA. Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA: health benefits throughout life. Adv Nutr. 2012 Jan;3(1):1-7. Omega-3 Fatty Acids EPA and DHA: Health Benefits Throughout Life |
| 4 | National Institutes of Health. Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. 2023. |
| 5 | Ruegsegger GN, Booth FW. Health Benefits of Exercise. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2018 Jul 2;8(7): a029694. Health Benefits of Exercise |
| 6 | World Health Organization. Global recommendations on physical activity for health. 2020. |
| 7 | Evbayekha EO, Aiwuyo HO, Dilibe A, Nriagu BN, Idowu AB, Eletta RY, Ohikhuai EE. Sleep Deprivation Is Associated With Increased Risk for Hypertensive Heart Disease: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study. Cureus. 2022 Dec 27;14(12):e33005. |
| 8 | National Sleep Foundation. Sleep Hygiene. 2020. 10 Tips for a Better Night’s Sleep |
| 9 | Franklin BA, Rusia A, Haskin-Popp C, Tawney A. Chronic Stress, Exercise and Cardiovascular Disease: Placing the Benefits and Risks of Physical Activity into Perspective. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Sep 21;18(18):9922. |
| 10 | Sujaritha J1, Deepa N2, Nandhini J3, Vandhana V4 & Mahalakshmi D. Stress and Stress Management: A Review. Indian Journal of Natural Sciences. Vol 13. Issue 73. 2022. |
| 11 | Owens DJ, Allison R, Close GL. Vitamin D and the Athlete: Current Perspectives and New Challenges. Sports Med. 2018 Mar;48(Suppl 1):3-16. |
