Zombie what?? Zombie Cells - a Real Thing!

With Halloween right around the corner I just HAD to take a deep dive into these “zombie” cells I heard about on the Today Show last month. Check it out - Today Show

Scientifically (and much less sexy), these cells are called senescent cells. Basically, these are damaged cells that don’t work properly anymore but they don’t die. They evade the body’s natural removal process and end up wreaking havoc on and damaging other nearby cells which, in turn, creates inflammation and tissue damage = disease.

They are the undead cells. Zombie cells.

Get enough zombie cells and the risk for cancer, Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular disease goes up.

Scientists are currently studying these cells and their direct correlation to aging and its effects as well as pharmaceutical drugs that can treat them. They aren’t necessarily looking for the fountain of youth, but instead are looking to see how we can keep aging and disease at bay and increase our healthy years as long as possible.

Until there is a magic cure, what can we do to protect ourselves against zombie cells?

Well, pretty much the same things we do to keep ourselves out of the doctor’s office, healthy, vital and happy:

Moving our bodies with regular, consistent and varied exercise - weights, cardio, stretching

A healthy, nutritious diet rich in plants (vegetables, fruits, beans, legumes, seeds) with minimal animal products

A healthy sleep routine - wake up rested and refreshed

Stress management practices (meditation, nature, journaling, connecting with others)

Fasting (if you’ve never fasted before please read up on it or consult your health coach about starting a fasting program)

We all have zombie cells (as a cancer survivor I guarantee I had my own!). But we can prevent creating more zombies and damaged cells and take a proactive approach to having the healthiest cells we possibly can.

Tell me, have you heard of zombie cells before (either by their “Halloween name” haha or their scientific name? Let me know in the comment section below!

And in the meantime, Happy Halloween! Boo!