Here’s how to live a younger life longer

Q: I try to do what you two recommend for diet and physical activity, but at age 63 I feel like I’m getting old too fast. What am I missing? — Katya F., Minneapolis A:

Eating a plant-based diet free from inflammatory foods that age you prematurely and getting aerobic/ cardio and strength-building exercise is essential to achieving a younger RealAge. But research shows that if you want to slow aging and maintain a youthful mind and body, you also need to adopt beneficial social and behavioral activities that help you cultivate resilience.

Social scientists from the University of Southern California recently published three related studies in Ageing Research Reviews. Their bottom line: Social factors directly affect biological aging — but you can overcome the aging impact of certain life circumstances and habits and achieve a longer healthspan.

The aging social and behavioral factors that you want to identify and then modify in yourself include smoking and excess alcohol intake, overeating, depression or gloominess, and being caught in what the studies call a toxic stress response.

Q: I’ve read a lot about the benefits of certain fats, but it’s confusing. Can you explain the difference between and benefits of omega-3 LCFAS and SCFAS? A:

Long-chain fatty acids (LCFAS) and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAS) are two types of polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids. They are essential to your health and can be gotten only through food.

The main long-chain omega-3s are DHA and EPA; the main short-chain omega-3 is ALA. Your body can convert ALA, found in high-fiber foods such as flax, chia seeds, edamame, navy beans, avocados, walnuts, 100 percent whole wheat and oatmeal, into DHA and EPA, but not well. You need to get LCFAS from food such as salmon, anchovies and sardines.

Research shows that SCFAS help fight off and control metabolic diseases, like diabetes, and promote weight loss.

In addition, ALA and other SCFAS produced in the colon by bacterial fermentation of dietary fibers pave the highway between the gut and brain, helping prevent depression, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases and autism spectrum disorder.

Aim to average around 250 to 500 mg a day of EPA and DHA; your best bet may be from 8 ounces of salmon or seafood a week.