MAILBAG! Popeye’s Healthy Aging Secret
By
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Posted August 2, 2022
Dear Living Well Daily Reader,
What’s the best way to stay active as I age?
–Jean from Raleigh, NC
Hi Jean,
There is one thing you need to do to stay mobile as you age: Make like Popeye and maintain your muscles.
Most of us don’t spend much time thinking about our muscles.
Sure, we all want good muscle tone because it makes us look attractive. But having strong lean body mass doesn’t JUST help us look great. It helps us feel great too.
Maintaining healthy muscle mass is also vital for healthy living AND healthy aging.
That list includes many things, like:
- Maintaining or losing weight. Most of your metabolism is determined by how much muscle mass you have. That’s because muscles burn more energy than body fat. Want a higher metabolism? Get more muscle.
- Positive health outcomes. Muscle strength has been associated with a lower risk of death, cardiovascular disease, and fractures in seniors.
- Bone density. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your bone density and the lower your risk for fractures.
- Blood sugar. Muscle mass is strongly linked to better blood sugar control.
In fact, if I know how much muscle mass you have, I can give you a good idea of how long you’re likely to live and how mobile you are. That’s how important it is.
The good news is you can build muscle as you age. It’s NOT too late. Let me show you how…
Dr. Scott’s Plan for Building Muscle:
- Keep exercising: This is a no-brainer… you have to move around to build and maintain muscle. But you don’t need to turn into a gym rat or bench press hundreds of pounds. Committing to a daily walk is good enough. Pump your arms and keep up the pace for even bigger muscle benefits.
- Eat More Protein: All proteins are helpful for muscle building. But the most critical proteins for building lean muscle mass are the branched-chain amino acids (especially leucine). These include beef, chicken, eggs, salmon, and nuts.
- Eat a balanced diet: Building muscle requires a bunch of vitamins and minerals. So make sure you’re eating a healthy balanced diet, avoiding processing foods, and taking supplements to fill in those nutritional gaps.
Oh, and ladies, if you’re worried about looking like a bodybuilder if you work on building muscle, don’t. The few ladies that can bulk up like that typically have to eat massive amounts of protein and exercise for eight to 10 hours a day.
PS: You can literally fight off muscle loss in just 3 seconds a day. Find out how here.
Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.
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