Quotations by Elizabeth Blackburn

Caregiving is one of the most profound stresses a person can experience. Its tasks are emotionally and physically demanding. Health researchers have identified caregivers (e.g. mothers taking care of their chronically ill children) as one of the most chronically stressed groups of people. [2017] - Elizabeth Blackburn

Positive stress (challenge stress) energizes. Our body automatically reacts to a stressful event within seconds and also reacts to our thoughts about the event. When we start to notice the stress response in our muscle tension, heart rate, and breathing, we can relabel it by saying, "This is good stress, energizing me so I can perform well!" this can help shape the body's response to be more energizing, bringing more dilation to the vessels and more blood to the brain. [2017] - Elizabeth Blackburn

Time Distancing: Think about the immediate future, and you will have a bigger emotional response than if you take a longer-term view. Next time you are in the grip of a stressful event, ask yourself, In 10 years, will this event still have an impact on me? In studies, people asked to pose this question to themselves had more challenge thoughts. Recognizing the impermanence of an event helps you get over it faster. [2017] - Elizabeth Blackburn

Cynical hostility, which is characterized by suspicious and angry thoughts, is linked to shorter telomeres. So is pessimism. Other thoughts patterns, including mind wandering, rumination, and thought suppression, may also lead to telomere damage. These thought patterns, unfortunately, can be automatic and hard to change. But you can learn to laugh at your negative thoughts and keep them from hurting you so much ("Oh, I'm criticizing myself again. I do that so often it's funny.") Engaging in any kind of mind-body practice (including meditation, especially mindfulness meditation) regularly allows you to be less focused on negative thoughts about yourself. [2017] - Elizabeth Blackburn

The most efficient use of time is to do one thing and to pay full attention to it. This "unitasking", sometimes termed "flow", is also the most satisfying way to spend moments. We allow ourselves to be content and absorbed. [2017] - Elizabeth Blackburn

Conscientiousness is the personality trait that is the most consistent predictor for longevity. Part of conscientiousness is having good impulse control, being able to delay the lure of immediately rewarding (and often dangerous) things like overspending money, driving too fast, excess eating, or alcohol use. Having high levels of impulsivity is associated with shorter telomeres as well. Those with high self-discipline live 34% longer than their less conscientious counterparts. [2017] - Elizabeth Blackburn

People practicing Zen meditation, or loving-kindness meditation, have longer telomeres than nonmeditators. A range of mind-body activities--Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, yogic meditation, Qigong, and intensive lifestyle change--all promote better telomere maintenance. [2017] - Elizabeth Blackburn

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, or MBCT, helps people out of the gap between how we feel and how we want to feel. It combines traditional strategies of cognitive therapy with mindfulness practices. Cognitive therapy helps you change distorted thoughts; mindfulness helps you change how you relate to your thoughts in the first place. MBCT is potent against that great threat to your telomeres, major depression. It's been show to be as effective as an antidepressant. [2017] - Elizabeth Blackburn

Mindfulness-based stress reduction, or MBSR, is a program created by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School for people with no or little meditation experience. MBSR is great for anyone who wants to reduce stress; it's an especially good match for people suffering from chronical physical pain. MBSR includes training in the nature of the mind, mindful breathing, a mindful body scan, and yoga. Taking a class in a group is a unique live experience, but for those who don't have access to MBSR locally, the University of Massachusetts Medical School's Center for Mindfulness offers an online course (https://www.umassmemorialhealthcare.org/umass-memorial-center-mindfulness).  [2017] - Elizabeth Blackburn

There are many types of meditation from many different traditions. Kirtan Kriya is a more traditional form of meditation from yoga principles that involves chanting and tapping of the fingers (called yoga mudras). A brief description can be found here: http://alzheimersprevention.org/research/12-minute-memory-exercise. Hatha Yoga is a moving meditation that integrates physical postures, breathing, and a present mantel state. Yoga improves quality of life and mood for people across different types of illness, reduces blood pressure, and possibly inflammation and lipids. Yoga has recently been shown to increase spine bone density if practiced long term. [2017] - Elizabeth Blackburn

Qigong reduces depression and may improve diabetes. In a trial of Qigong on cell aging, researchers examined people with chronic fatigue syndrome. They found that people who practiced Qigong for four months had significantly greater increases in telomerase, and reductions in fatigue, than people who were assigned to a wait list. [2017] - Elizabeth Blackburn

Compared to couch potatoes, people who exercise regularly have lower inflammatory cytokine levels, respond more successfully to vaccinations, and enjoy a more robust immune system. Immunosenescence is a natural process that happens with age...but people who exercise may be able to delay it until the end of life.  [2017] - Elizabeth Blackburn

Moderate aerobic endurance exercise, performed 3 times a week for 45 minutes at a time, for 6 months, increases telomerase activity twofold. So does high-intensity interval training (HIIT), in which short bust of heart-pounding activity are alternated with periods of recovery. Resistance exercise has no significant effect on telomerase activity (although it has other benefits--it helps maintain or improve bone density, muscle mass, balance, and coordination--all of which are vital for aging well). [2017] - Elizabeth Blackburn

During REM sleep, cortisol is suppressed, and your metabolic rate increases. When you don't sleep well, you get less REM in the second half of the night, and that results in higher levels of cortisol and insulin, which stimulate appetite and lead to greater insulin resistance. This means that a bad night of sleep can throw you into a temporary prediabetic state. Studies have shown that even one night of partial sleep, or one night without enough REM sleep, can lead to elevated cortisol the next afternoon or evening, along with changes in the hormones and peptides that regulate appetite and lead to greater feeling of hunger. [2017] - Elizabeth Blackburn

Five Bedtime Rituals: 1. Spend 5 minutes in transition (breathing, meditating or reading). 2. Listen to soothing music. 3. Set a mood for relaxation (use essential oils, light a candle, and dim the lights). 4. Brew warm herbal tea one hour or more before bed. 5. Perform bedtime stretches or do some gentle yoga (Gentle Rolling of the Head and Neck, Forward Bend, Child's Pose). [2017] - Elizabeth Blackburn

There is little doubt that extreme caloric restriction extends the longevity of various lower species. But it's hard to pinpoint the effects of caloric restriction on larger animals. For now, it looks as if caloric restriction has no positive effect on human telomeres. You don't need to give up carbs or milk products to be healthy! Eating and drinking low-sugar, low-glycemic-index food and beverages will boost your inner metabolic health, which is what really matters (more than weight). [2017] - Elizabeth Blackburn

Some foods and supplements are healthy for your telomeres, and some just aren't. A whole-foods diet that features fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and omega-3 fatty acids is not only good for your telomeres, it also helps reduce oxidative stress, inflammation, and insulin resistance--factors that can shorten your healthspan. The more that people eat legumes, nuts, seaweed, fruits, and dairy products, and the less they consume red meat or processed meat and sweetened sodas, the longer their telomeres in their white blood cells. [2017] - Elizabeth Blackburn

Enjoy fresh oily fish (including sushi), salmon and tuna, leafy vegetables, and flax oil and flaxseeds. In general, we suggest that everyone try to get their nutrients from their diet, but when that's just not possible, supplementation can be a reasonable alternative. A general consensus seem to be a daily dosage of at least 1,000 milligrams of a mixture of EPA and DHA. For sustainability reasons, we strongly suggest the vegetarian alternative, which is made from algae. Fish have omega-3s because they eat algae. We can eat algae, too, sustainably farmed algae that contains DHA. [2017] - Elizabeth Blackburn

Fruits, although they contain simple carbohydrates, are healthy because of their fiber content and overall nutritional value; fruit juices, from which the fiber has been extracted, are generally not. [2017] - Elizabeth Blackburn

In one small study, 2,000 IU a day of vitamin D (in the form of vitamin D3) for four months led to increased telomerase by around 20% compared to a placebo group. The best dietary sources of vitamin D are salmon, tuna, sole, flounder, fortified milk and cereals, and eggs. It can be hard to get enough vitamin D from diet and sunlight alone, depending on where you live, so this is a case when you may want to consider supplements. [2017] - Elizabeth Blackburn