If she could turn back time, here’s what she would do.
Dr. Florence Comite, a Manhattan-based precision medicine doctor who specializes in boosting lifespan, is revealing the top three healthy habits she wished she had prioritized in her 20s to stem the tide of aging.
In a new interview with MindBodyGreen, Comite advises getting sufficient deep sleep, building muscle and monitoring blood sugar levels.
Improve deep sleep
Comite suggests a strong connection between sleep quality and sugar cravings and insulin control.
Insulin resistance and high blood sugar are hallmarks of diabetes — poor sleep has been linked to a higher risk of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, anxiety and other long-term health conditions.
Experts recommend adults get seven to nine hours of slumber every night, and Comite says it’s imperative to get enough deep sleep.
This stage of sleep, also called slow-wave sleep, is when brain activity is at its slowest and heart rate and breathing reach their lowest levels.
The body is most relaxed in deep sleep, and it can be difficult to wake up.
Deep sleep tends to come earlier at night, and it’s essential for repairing muscles, bones and tissues, boosting the immune system, processing new memories and clearing toxins from the brain.
Comite told MindBodyGreen that her biological age tests have notably decreased since she started monitoring her sleep patterns with an Oura ring.
Build muscle
“Muscle to me is like the fountain of youth. It’s the key to longevity,” Comite said. “Diabetes starts emerging in the 30s, 40s and 50s because we’re all losing muscle as our hormones are shifting.”
Researchers at Stanford University found that people who strength train lose more fat and maintain their blood sugar better than those who do cardio or a combination of strength and cardio.
Strength training doesn’t immediately burn as many calories as a cardio workout, but it builds muscle tissue, which requires more energy and calories over time to maintain.
“When you strength train, you can focus on specific muscles that you can tone and create shape,” Jenna Rizzo, a Georgia-based women’s weight loss coach, recently explained.
Comite recommends resistance training at least two or three times a week and consuming adequate protein to help minimize muscle loss. Here are six moves to conquer to kickstart your weight training.
Monitor blood sugar
Comite says she uses a continuous glucose monitor to track her blood sugar, sleep quality, stress levels and the best foods for her metabolic health.
