Cutting through the hype, the scientific ‘hacks’ to help improve our lives
Ever wondered about the secrets to living a long, healthy and happy life? How To Live Younger is an exciting 3-part series that looks at the scientific ‘hacks’ that can help improve our lives; cutting through the ‘wellness’ hype, revealing rigorous and robust scientific research that shows how we can prolong our time on earth. The series features Professor Seetal Dodd from our Mental Health and Neuroscience team as an expert on the second episode, Mind.
In the past, if we were fortunate we might live until 80 years of age – but anticipating that the last 15 years might involve a slow, unavoidable deterioration. Now scientists believe that we can increase our ‘healthspan’ to live more active, healthy and enjoyable years. Remarkably, many of the ‘diseases of ageing’, such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and depression, could in fact be preventable.
In laboratories around the world, scientists are trialling, testing and analysing a range of measures that could help us stay healthier for longer. Making incredible progress, microbes have been weaponised to fight depression, anxiety medications repurposed to stop cancer, as well as the utilisation of ‘fast’ diets, mindfulness, exercise, urban design and even ‘random acts of kindness’ to ward off disease.
The second episode Mind reveals how happiness, social connection, peace of mind, placebos and even how experiencing a sense of awe can change our lives for the better. Scientists at the forefront of loneliness and stress research also reveal the damaging effects negative emotions can have on our bodies at the molecular level.
How To Live Younger is a scientific guide to beating disease, empowering us to have more control over our health than we ever imagined possible.
Watch How To Live Younger on ABC iview now – http://ab.co/3mgU2ee
