Live better longer
Living longer, and being more fit, healthy, vibrant and able along the way, is what Zwell is all about. Our mission is to maximize the lifespan and - perhaps more important - the “wellness span” of our members.
We call this “Zwellspan” – the portion of our lives where the conditions normally associated with aging are not a barrier to a full and active daily life. Our goal is to make Zwellspan and Lifespan the same thing.
When it comes to the health issues we face as we get older, it is often hard to cut through the noise and find the information and products we need – there is simply so much information. Zwell is here to simplify your quest for total wellness. We focus exclusively on the needs of Canadians 45+, bringing information clarity and simple solutions to the pursuit of wellness. We believe in health promotion versus illness medicine that focuses only on symptom management. We filter the available information and provide advice towards health expansion using natural and organic solutions (versus synthetic) and in doing so, we remove the opportunity for disease to take hold. We believe in looking towards ancient traditions and the latest, most cutting edge science to make the most of the learning and create harmony between each of us as individuals and the natural world we inhabit. We want to be your trusted source for Total Zwellness.
"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." - Abraham Lincoln
"I want to die young at a ripe old age." - Ashley Montagu
How to be truly Zwell: The Five Pillars of Zwellness
1 Feed your body.
It’s true, we are what we eat, but more than this we are what we absorb and assimilate. Feeding your body is about much more than simply what you put in your mouth. Feeding your body is about understanding how your body uses food and how the food you consume can help or hinder your total Zwellness. Knowing what to eat and then doing it in practice is not easy, but it is an essential cornerstone of our Total Zwellness philosophy. We believe the keys are:
- Drink a lot of water. Once you experience the sensation of thirst you are already dehydrated. The body’s need for water is second in importance only to its need for oxygen. It has been estimated that as many as 75% of Canadians are chronically dehydrated. When you consider that your body is approximately 75% water in infancy and as little as 50% in old age, a key to keeping biologically young is optimal hydration.
- Focus on nutritional density. Most of us eat the wrong foods every day. As a result, we do not get the nutrition we need from these empty calories, despite eating more than we should. The foods you consume should offer a big nutritional pay-off for the calories they provide. A piece of fruit will always offer more nutrients and fewer calories than a glass of juice. A huge colourful salad will provide vitamins, minerals and health promoting plant compounds for very few calories, where an equal sized serving of white-flour pasta will not offer much more than excess energy.
- Restrict your calories from empty food sources. If you want to live longer, recent research strongly suggests that caloric restriction from non-nutritive foods has more impact than any other single factor. Simply put, most of us eat large volumes of food that take a lot of energy to be digested, detoxified and eliminated but aren’t giving anything back to the body. When you eat the most nutritious foods available, they contribute vitality, energy and health promoting compounds that enhance your body rather than stress and strain it. Focusing on the nutritional quality and density of what you eat makes it much easier to eat less, since your body is getting the nutrients it needs.
- Drink alcohol in moderation. The health benefits of some drinks such as red wine are well documented. Consuming 1 to 2 alcoholic drinks daily for men and slightly less for women is a common practice amongst those who live long and healthy lives. However, excessive alcohol consumption compromises your body’s ability to absorb and access the nutrition in food, particularly when large quantities of alcohol are consumed at one time. (J Am Coll Nutr. 1991 Dec;10(6):602-32.)
- Supplement when needed. For most people, this means every day. The alternative is to spend most of each day finding, buying, preparing and eating the exact right foods in the exact right amounts. For many this is simply not an attainable goal, and since good nutrition is a cornerstone of health, it’s crucial for true Zwellness. The right supplementation program is an essential aspect of giving your body correct and adequate nutrition.
2 Sweat for at least 20 minutes every day.
Your body knows only two things, growth and decay. It’s not your brain that signals which mode to be in – it’s your large muscle groups. With exercise, these muscle groups push chemical messengers into your bloodstream that tell every tissue in your body to stay in its youthful growth mode, rather than winding down into decay. With the rapidly emerging genetic sciences, the proof connecting exercise to longevity is building rapidly.
- Consistency. A multitude of studies on various forms of cancer and heart disease show a clear link between physical activity and disease prevention. They key factor is consistency. Exercise habits do not need to be extreme to be effective but they do need to be a part of your every day routine.
- Resistance. Although there is no denying the cardiovascular benefits of aerobic exercise (such as running, brisk walking, cycling or swimming) your body needs to experience some resistance training in order to stimulate the regeneration of muscle tissue. Muscle tissue is the engine of your metabolism; burning energy and keeping weight optimal while keeping the body strong.
- Flexibility. Only a few decades ago moving, stretching and deep breathing was a normal part of everyday activities. Today, a vast majority of Canadian Zoomers are classified as sedentary and with this inactivity comes stiffness, weakness and pain. Most common aches and pains can be resolved with daily movement and stretching, which brings lubricating fluid into joints and re-conditions slack muscles.
3 Carry your (right) weight.
Optimal weight is not a result - it’s a byproduct. You can't control body weight directly, and that’s why 95% of people who try to control weight, fail. What is controllable are the Items 1 and 2 above and if you do these two things your weight will stabilize at its correct level and maintain that level over time.
4 Feed your mind.
Humans are curious and social animals to the core. Connecting with people and constantly developing interests and ideas is proven to keep us younger. So, why not commit and connect to something bigger than yourself - your family, community, church, charity or favorite sport - whatever is important to you. Travel, play, flirt, frolic, reach out, and do new things.
5 Sleep & De-stress.
Stressful feelings have an undeniable impact on the quality and quantity of your sleep and conversely, the quality of your sleep has a direct effect on your body’s response to stress.
Research shows that the majority of insomnia is caused by emotional distress such as anxiety, depression and tension. And on the flip side, another study confirms findings first discovered almost a decade ago; chronic lack of sleep triggers an elevation in stress hormones and a heightened daytime stress response. In addition to messing with mood, insomnia is often a contributing factor in weight gain by triggering the release of stress hormones which negatively impact blood sugar control and encourage abdominal weight gain. Sleep is your body’s time for repair and rejuvenation. When this natural healing process is disturbed by sleeplessness a cascade of negative reactions are set off.
Engage every day in activities that help reduce and manage your stressful feelings before they manifest as many sleepless nights. Likewise, do not take a few nights of lying awake for granted. Research shows that after only a few nights of inadequate sleep stress hormones rise, setting off a chain reaction of daytime irritability and blood sugar imbalances that set the stage for serious degenerative disease.
"None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm." - Henry David Thoreau
"Love makes those young whom age doth chill, and whom he finds young. keeps young still." - William Cartwright
"Age does not protect you from love, but love to some extent protects you from age." - Jeanne Moreau
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Helps to maintain healthy eyesight and skin membranes; also promotes night vision by improving glare tolerance.
