The Harmony of Holistic Aging
A positive approach to health and well-being
Rather than focusing on one aspect of life as we age, holistic aging considers the whole person, its health and general balance. It recognizes the interconnectedness of all aspects of our lives and the impact on our overall health and emotional well-being.
So, as we grow older, the goal of holistic aging is to be mindful of balancing the changing needs in terms of skin care, nutrition, physiotherapy, sleep therapy and cognitive function—each an essential component of a healthier self.
Beyond skin deep
Acclaimed geneticist and molecular biologist Professor Miroslav Radman has made a radical new discovery about how cells age that has unlocked the secrets of longevity.
Radman looked at the living organisms capable of withstanding extreme conditions, such as bacterioruberins, a super bacteria that can survive radiation exposure. He discovered that cells become damaged because their entire complement of proteins—the proteome—becomes oxidized and ages. Targeting proteome alteration, a process common to all age-related damage within the body and cognitive function, age-related damage can be prevented and action can be taken.
Radman partnered with NAOS — a purpose-driven skincare company with a mission to create a disruptive but respectful approach to human care, rooted in its three brands: Bioderma, Institut Esthederm, and Etat Pur — to take his research further and explore the benefits of proteome protection.
The skin is often the first visible indicator of a person’s age. NAOS AGING SCIENCE’s R&D teams worked on the cutaneous application of the scientist’s results, extracting bacterioruberins, the super bacteria which inspired Radman, due to its powerful proteome protective qualities. The molecules have a two-pronged approach — acting as both a physical shield and an antioxidant — allowing them to supersede previous attempts to protect the skin proteome.
Just as I would like to live in a harmonious society, I would like my body to have a harmonious biochemistry.
Prof. Miroslav Radman
The procedure has been scientifically proven to slow down the aging process by acting at its very source. Now, this simple but comprehensive approach allows for complete cutaneous maintenance affecting the signs of again, including radiance, evenness, wrinkles, firmness and density.
“I consider the suffering from diseases and the fear of painful death a shame for our species. Just as I would like to live in a harmonious society, I would like my body to have a harmonious biochemistry,” says Professor Radman.
Like Radman, other experts consider aging as a positive process that is natural and can be harmonious.
Fuel and movement
Kyla Newcombe is a nutritionist and skin specialist who teaches that food is fuel to nourish cells.
“There’s not a one-size-fits-all when it comes to food and supplements. A ‘healthy’ food for one individual may cause an inflammatory reaction for another, so being in tune with your body is key,” she says. “It’s easy to worry about foods we should restrict, but in reality, the occasional biscuit is unlikely to cause harm. On the other hand, a lifetime of low antioxidant intake and imbalanced omega fatty acids may lead to increased inflammation and accelerated aging.”
Similarly, Dr. Paulina Kloskowska, Physiotherapist at Marylebone Health and University Lecturer believes aging is a unique and personal experience; the solutions to which are not formulaic.
“As we all live our lives differently, when we age, our bodies adapt different ways of movement with different adaptations and compensations.
“While embracing the aging process, a physiotherapist will understand the individual challenges a patient is facing and advise the best course of action, whether building muscle, getting more mobile or implementing specific, progressive exercises. Targeted and bespoke treatment is key to achieving individual goals.”
Embrace sleep
Increasingly, a more positive understanding of sleep is also helping us live more healthily in middle age and later life.
Poor sleep is associated with the increased risk of many diseases and illnesses of older age, such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, dementia and even some cancers. It is also associated with poor mental health. Rates of depression, anxiety and suicidal behaviour are all increased with inadequate sleep.
Sleep expert Neil Stanley from Sleepstation suggests that, as we age, sleep behaviors should be a personal practice.
“See sleep as important and as a pleasure, not a chore,” he says. “Once we do this, it is easier to make changes to improve sleep. As we get older we may sleep progressively earlier. This is a natural change we should respect. Go to bed when you feel sleepy and get the sleep you need each night—it is the most important contributor to your health and well-being.”
Harmony of the mind
On matters of cognitive function, evidence suggests some aspects of the brain’s function decline with age. These include the speed of processing, complex reasoning, holding and retrieving long-term memories, vision, hearing, and movement control.
However, it’s not all bad news, says Dr Richard Allen, Associate Professor at the University of Leeds with expertise in memory and cognitive function. Some cognitive functions even improve with age, such as our ‘semantic’ knowledge (knowledge about the world), and vocabulary knowledge remains intact. Older adults are often better at emotional regulation and tend to report more positive memories than younger people.
We should ensure we’re living the best, most rewarding, and active life we can, from as early an age as possible.
Dr Richard Allen
“Our cognitive abilities do change as we age,” he says. “However, this will differ between any two individuals. There is no magic bullet for this; our best approach for embracing aging in a healthy way is to enjoy the benefits, accept some things will change. We should ensure we’re living the best, most rewarding, and active life we can, from as early an age as possible.”
While aging is inevitable, the mindset we employ to embrace the aging process can impact the speed we age, and how we feel and look along the way. Inspired by nature, holistic aging teaches a positive and comprehensive approach to our health, appearance and well-being. Focus on the harmony of this natural process and we can be reconciled with how we look, enjoy vitality, independence, and well-being well into our later years.