Anti-Aging is BS! Try this approach instead.

Interview by Jennifer Cooper
Photo by Jaime Colyer

“There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.”

— Sophia Loren

Scroll through my Instagram feed for a few seconds and you’re bound to see an ad for some anti-aging product. There’s a golden goop (the consistency, not the Gwenyth) that will fade my age spots, a makeup brand that will minimize my fine lines and wrinkles, and a redlight wand that will plump my skin and return it to its youthful glow in only 15 minutes a day. Okay, I’ll admit I caved on the last one. It now sits in my makeup drawer next to an eyelash curler I never use.

The messaging we’re bombarded with every day is loud and clear: you need to stay looking young, and you need lots of products to do it.

In other words, anti-aging is only skin deep.

Thankfully there are people out there showing us a healthier, more effective way. Nicole Marcione is one of them. She’s an Empowered Aging coach, a Body-Brain longevity specialist, a board-certified health coach and the founder of La Dolce Vita Method. Her doctoral research focused on how mind-body intervention affects cognitive function, mobility and aging. Now, she’s helping others dive beneath the “surface” to live la dolce vita; the sweet, good life.

Since I’ve been feeling pretty blah these days, I wanted to know more about that sweet life and how we can age with a healthier—and effective—approach.

Tell me what you think of the term “anti-aging”?

I think the term "anti-aging" is BS, it's a big lie and there is no such thing. If we're not aging, we are dead! So, instead of focusing on anti-aging, I love to encourage people to focus on how they can decelerate the aging process: How to age vibrantly and shift our mindsets from anti-aging to embracing the privilege of living a long life.

Are there healthier ways to think about aging?

Yes, there are so many ways! We've been conditioned to think that the best is behind us, especially women older than 40. But that’s actually the perfect time to start focusing more on how we want to age; how we want the second half of our life to be. We can ask ourselves: What are our deepest desires? What is holding us back from creating a life we want?

Midlife is where we start questioning our beliefs and our purpose on this planet. It's a time to reset, reinvent even, and think about what the next chapter holds. How are we looking at ourselves? Is it as a S.A.G.E. (Sophisticated. Audacious. Genius. Epic)? Or is it as a "has-been?” It's up to us how we mold our thinking and mindset about aging.

What are some of the biggest challenges you see when it comes to longevity?

Most people tend to focus solely on nutrition, supplements and exercise. These are important, but so are stress resilience, relationships, and pleasure. You can eat all the kale and do all the yoga, but if you're stressed out or hate your life, those are not going to improve your longevity.

Also, so many times, we don't think about our aging or longevity until we're in our 60s and 70s, but it's best to start learning about longevity and how to shift our lifestyle when we're in our 30s and 40s. Similar to retirement, you don't want to start saving for it when you're a few years away from retiring. It’s the sooner, the better.

What are some of the most powerful transformations you’ve seen in your clients?

Women finally asking for what they need and what they desire from their partner or boss or even themselves. And shifting their mindset from how to "fix" themselves to how to love themselves, especially as they age.

What’s next for you?

So many things! I'm launching a podcast with my colleague who is a Functional Medicine doctor, it's called Femme Factor and launches in early June. Also in June, I'll be running my favorite program called La Dolce Vita where we explore the concepts of indulgence, pleasure and longevity through the lens of the Italian lifestyle. There is both a virtual and in-person (Rome!) option to participate. I think I also may be ready to commit to writing a book on Sexy Smart Aging. Stay tuned!

Are you also yelling, yes, yes, yes with me? I love that she mentioned building up stress resilience, relationships, and pleasure as pathways to longevity.

These are the things we need more of in our lives, not products that make us feel like we need to compete with aging or each other. That old way of toxic thinking needs to change if we’re going to write a new story about life, one that’s empowered and sees the beauty and strength that deepens as we age.

So, a huge thanks to Nicole for being here and sharing her thoughts and program. You can follow her on Instagram here where she posts Sexy Smart Aging tips for longevity (including pleasure), inspiration, and opportunities to work with her. Visit integrativeaging.com for more information.