Sometimes I contemplate on just how fragile life is. Here we are, spinning around the sun in the middle of the universe with a billion delicate balances allowing us to be here. When you stop and think about how grand everything is, it can be a little overwhelming. But, if you zoom in even closer… and even closer than that… and even closer than that… all the way down to the makeup of our cells, you see that life is also very powerful and resilient. And there are intelligent systems governing it all. Life, and how long we live, is not an accident. Our cells can actually tell us how long we’re going to live. More specifically, they can tell us how long we’re going to live healthfully. I just overheard a gentleman at the gym, probably in his late 50’s, telling another seasoned fellow how he’s getting too old to do basic things he used to do. He was complaining about the inability to tend to his yard and to exercise normally. The man he was talking to simply replied, “It’s too bad, isn’t it?” They have bought into the idea that it’s a sharp downhill slope now that their 50’s have shown up. All I could think about in that moment was The Telomere Effect. To put it simply, your telomeres are a biological marker that can tell you how long you’re going to live with your health intact. Nobel Prize winning scientist Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn and superstar health psychologist Dr. Elissa Epel collaborated to write one of the most important books of our time. The Telomere Effect provides eye-opening study after study proving how this incredible biological marker can be shortened or extended based on our lifestyle choices, and even our beliefs. Today you’re about to hear from Dr. Epel about just how powerful you are to ensure you live healthfully for the vast majority of your years. As grand as the universe is, some of the greatest power resides in your cells, and it resides in your ability to choose. To be healthy as you age, or not to be. That is the question! And today we’ve got your answer. In this episode you'll discover: Which incredible compound has been found to protect your body from the effects of sleep deprivation. What telomeres are and how they work. Whether or not things like bullying and violence have an impact on your healthspan. The difference between your healthspan and disease span. How stressful events influence your cellular aging. The crucial lifestyle factors that can protect your telomeres from shortening too fast. The difference between a threat response and a challenge response. What cognitive defusion is. How to swiftly move past being overly self-critical. What inflamm-aging is and how it impacts our lives. Which key nutrients have been found to support telomere length. How sleep minutes are like calories. The amount of exercise needed to protect you from accelerated telomere shortening. Items mentioned in this episode include: Onnit.com/Model <== Get your optimal health & performance supplements at 10% off Organifi.com ⇐ Use the coupon code model for 20% off F.lux Blue Light Blocking App Swannies Blue Light Blocking Glasses Dr. Elissa Epel’s Lab Website The Telomere Effect ⇐ Pick up the new book here! Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Model Health Show. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute and leave a quick rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts by clicking on the link below. It will help us to keep delivering life-changing information for you every week! Click Here to Subscribe via Apple Podcasts Click Here to Subscribe via Stitcher