A mother of two young children with a full-on, full-time job as a senior executive at a newspaper, which I regularly edited on a Sunday in addition to working five days a week, up until that moment, I was the sort of person who never stopped. I only ever paused for a cigarette – 15 a day, each one a guilty but blissful moment, as I saw it then, of ‘me time.’
It’s only now that I realise how tense I was: chronically tired, debilitating migraines at least once a week, and shoulders solid as bricks. But the body has a way of making you stop when things get critical.
Sandra used to smoke 15 cigarettes a day, ate badly and drank a couple of glasses of wine a nightAn MRI scan showed a curvature, or scoliosis, on my spine that, unbeknownst to me, had been there since birth (meaning that without good core strength, my back was simply an accident waiting to happen) and a severe prolapsed disc.
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Instead, somewhat to my surprise, an entirely different me has emerged. One who, while still holding down a fulltime stressful job, is bursting with energy, barely has a headache let alone a migraine, rarely eats a ready meal, drinks much less and doesn’t smoke.
That’s according to two biological age tests by Glycan Age, which tests your blood for powerful biomarkers of ageing called glycans, which we have billions of in our body. I was 61 when I first took the test, and no one was more surprised than I when the result came back as 20. Then I took it again 18 months later, aged 62, and it was still 20.
Small steps to a new future
The Pilates exercises were all done in front of a mirrored wall. Forced to look at myself for an hour each class, I could no longer ignore the uncomfortable truth that I could do with losing weight. So I started going to WeightWatchers. My goal weight was eight and a half stone, which I reached after about six months by eating chicken or salmon with vegetables and no pasta or bread at all.
Sandra now exercises six days a week, including pilates, yoga, running and weight training (Photographer: Lezli + Rose, Hair & Makeup: Collette Ruddy)
I began going to Bikram yoga as well as Pilates, and even resumed running. Suddenly, I was exercising six days a week, eating healthily and feeling incredibly good on it.
Three mornings a week, I would get to the gym when it opened at 6am – before they were awake – run on the treadmill for half an hour and then whizz back home to get them up, shower, change, and make them breakfast before leaving at 8am to take them to school. Two mornings a week, I would go to Pilates at 8am, and our au pair would take them to school. On Saturdays and Sundays, I went to Bikram yoga – 90-minute sessions – as well as Pilates.
A physical and mental shift
I began reading every book I could find on health and longevity. Among other things I learned the importance of health span – how long we can expect to stay healthy – as opposed to lifespan – the age at which we die.
I interviewed the world’s top longevity scientists to devise a three-week plan to change how you eat, move and sleep. Because it turns out that only 20 per cent of our longevity is down to our genes. The rest – 80 per cent – is the result of our lifestyle.
Trust me, if I can turn my health around, so can you. It’s much easier than you think – and it’s never too late.
Nutrition and fitness tips from Sandra
Move the body more
Start strength training – studies show that 12 weeks is enough to significantly improve muscle even in frail people in their 90s.
Another major study showed that you only have to walk briskly for 20 minutes a day to reduce your risk of dying from any cause by almost a third (30 per cent). That does have to be in addition to the other steps you take just in daily life – going up and down stairs, walking to the shops, and hopefully getting off the bus or train one or two stops earlier than you would do normally.
Smaller portions
When it comes to changing how you eat, the most important thing is to eat less. Caloric restriction has been shown time and again to prolong life – just 10-12 per cent less is all you need to improve everything from blood pressure and cholesterol levels to insulin sensitivity, inflammation, and mood.
Up your fibre intake
Aim for at least 30g of fibre a day, which is not only incredibly good for you but also keeps you feeling fuller for longer. If you have a breakfast of Greek yoghurt, raspberries and nuts, lunch of wholegrain toast with avocado and a butterbean, spinach, tomato and olive salad with your evening meal and eat either an apple or a pear for a snack, you’ll have hit 30g of fibre with ease.
Sleep is key
The final step towards longevity is improving your sleep. Only go to bed when you’re really tired. You are trying to teach your body that getting into bed equals going to sleep – and this is one of the most important ways of doing that.
Age Less – How I reduced my biological age from 60 to 20 and how you can too by Sandra Parsons is published by New River, £14.99
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