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 too much confusion.  Zwell is here to simplify the 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 illness avoidance (over illness correction), traditional, natural and organic solutions (versus synthetic), and making the most of the learning and harmony between each of us as individuals and the natural world we inhabit.  We developed our "Four Pillars of Zwellness", and put this philosophy at the centre of everything we do, because 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 Four Pillars of Zwellness

1        Feed your body

It’s true, we are what we eat. 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. 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 North Americans are chronically dehydrated. When you consider that your body is approximately 70% 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.

•        Restrict your calories.  If you want to live longer, recent research strongly suggests that caloric restriction has more impact than any other single factor.  Simply put, most of us eat too much.  Focusing on the nutritional quality and density of what we eat makes it much easier to eat less, since our bodies are satisfied.

•        Drink alcohol in moderation.  The health benefits of some drinks such as red wine are well documented.  However, excessive alcohol consumption compromises your body’s ability to absorb and access the nutrition in food, and so we recommend drinking no more than four to six alcohol drinks per week.(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 to giving your body correct nutrition and achieving calorie reduction.  When you add in exercise, weight control is the outcome.

2        Sweat for an hour 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 strenuous 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.

3        Carry your (right) weight.

Weight is not a goal - it’s a byproduct.  You can't control it 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, favorite sport - whatever is important to you. Travel, play, flirt, frolic, reach out, and do new things.

"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