It’s Time for the New Rules for Aging

Frank Lipman, MD, opens his new book The New Rules of Aging Well with, “In my medical practice, there’s something I see again and again: patients in their 40s and 50s who feel as if they’ve been betrayed by their bodies. They’re gaining weight, feeling exhausted, experiencing aches and pains, generally going south. They find that they’re getting sick more often, catching everything they’re exposed to and taking longer to recover.” If that sounds familiar, The New Rules of Aging Well: A Simple Program for Immune Resilience, Strength and Vitality by Dr. Lipman and Danielle Clara, is a must-read for you.

He goes on to write, “People come to me assuming that these ‘symptoms of aging’ are unavoidable. I tell them what I’m going to tell you now: These problems—losing mental sharpness, looking puffy, feeling generally lousy—are absolutely not a given of aging. They’re a call to action, a sign that you need to change your lifestyle. When patients follow my advice—when they improve their lifestyle—the impact is often immediate.”

Dr. Lipman tells us that there’s no magic pill for health and immunity, but there is a lifestyle that makes your immune system—and all the other systems in your body your body—stronger. Thank goodness for that. So what does he recommend?

Here’s the short list on what to do:

1. Just. Eat. Less.
2. Sleep more and sleep better.
3. Lots of everyday physical activity.
4. Watch the alcohol and other toxins (use CBD instead).
5. Four big glasses of water a day.
6. Have a sense of humor about aging.

He also gives us a handful of simple tweaks we can use to profound effect, such as taking a cold rinse after a hot shower, using a foam roller to relieve muscle aches, and eating medicinal mushrooms.

One chapter of the book is devoted to eating well. Here are some takeaways:

1. Eat food that’s fresh, natural, and real – no processed foods (including plant-based meat alternatives).
2. Buy organic produce from local farmers whenever possible.
3. Focus on non-starchy vegetables in a variety of colors.
4. Avoid refined sugar and grains.
5. Train your body to run on fats, not carbs.
6. Cancel breakfast to achieve short fasts overnight and stick to two meals per day.
7. Eat less meats and cheese, more nuts and beans.
8. Use Himalayan salt instead of table salt or even sea salt (which can contain microplastics).

Just remember that the science behind these ideas is important, but what it looks like in real life is simple everyday choices. Make good choices on a daily basis and you will build immune resilience and age spectacularly.