Reason #28: What's Your Real Age?

Oprah recently had a show on the other day about life extension and how people are actually living longer. Due to advances in technology and research on diet and lifestyle, it may be possible to live to 120 years old (imagine the candles on that birthday cake!). One particular man was on a calorie restriction diet where he monitors every calorie he eats in an attempt to get the most nutritional bang per calorie. For instance, his breakfast consists of three apples (peels only because most of the fiber and nutrients are in the peel) with wild blueberries, raspberries, and 2 ounces of walnuts (the healthy fat in walnuts helps absorb nutrients). He has restricted himself to 1,950 calories per day for the past seven years. The man is 5'9 and 130 pounds, and while in his 50s, researchers studying Joe say he has the body of a 20 year-old athlete. So how does a limited diet change how your body ages? According to Dr. Oz, when you restrict your calories, the body understands it doesn't have any resources to waste, and the body gets really efficient. Toxic waste products are not coming out of energy cells, so individual cell lines are living longer.

While I am not interested in the Calorie Restricted diet or promoting it, I was wondering if I could find out my "Real Body Age." I recall from watching the preliminary episodes of the Biggest Loser, each contestant is always given their "real body age", which is often 20+ years older than their chronological age. However, after changing their lifestyle on the ranch, they can dramatically get their "Real Body Age" younger.

Therefore, I searched the internet and came across the Real Age website. Aside from being quite an informative site, it offers a free test that questions your habits, relationships, diet, and fitness. After taking the test it spits out your "RealAge" and provides information on what is making you "Younger" and what is making you "Older". So my score came out to be a.....drumroll please....16 year old or in other words, an awkward, but healthy teen bopper. So what makes me younger and older?

Younger: No medications, I drink in moderation (95% of the time),non-smoker, I buckle up, sleep eight hours a night, eat breakfast daily,etc.

Older: Family history of breast cancer, I do not have a dog, apparently I do not get enough calcium, I do not do enough strength training (thank goodness for Jillian's 30 Day Shred), when I drive which is hardly ever (I drive over 5mph over the speed limit), and I have a low Vitamin E intake.

I like this site because it is very comprehensive and user friendly. It provides great tips and most importantly makes you self-aware of your health and what you are doing right and what you can work on! Check the site to see your real age!