|
|
|
The Baby Boomer's Anti Aging Program |
 |
(READING TIPS: For fast reading, scan through the topic headings in BOLD BLACK, important conclusions in BOLD BLUE, and " Must Know " in BOLD RED. To jump to specific sections in this article, click on the respective LINKS in the Contents.)
| Before You Begin Information presented here is for general educational purposes only. Each one of us is biochemically and metabolically different. If you have a specific health concern and wish my personalized nutritional recommendation, write to me by clicking here. |
Contents
Introduction
What
is Aging?
1.
Sub-Clinical Phase, ages 25 to 35
2.
Transition Phase, ages 35 to 45
3.
Clinical Phase, ages 45 and above
Anti-Aging
Protocol
The
5 pillars of the eAnti-Aging System
I.
Precision Anti-Aging Exercise
II.
Balanced Anti-Aging Diet
III.
Anti-Aging Stress Reduction Techniques
IV.
Natural Hormone Enhancement
V.
Optimal Anti-Aging Supplementation
Things
to Look for in a Supplement Focused on Anti-Aging
How
to Get Started
As
baby boomers we not only want to look good, we also want to feel good. And
"good' usually means "young". We see our elderly parents suffer, and we
want to avoid getting old as much as we want to avoid owning the wrong stocks.
To this end, we buy exercise equipment and gym memberships, health and organic
foods - all in a desperate attempt to stay looking and feeling good. Our
body is made up of trillions cells. Aging starts when cell death starts.
An effective anti-aging program must therefore address the cell as the starting
point. If we can defer cell death, we are in effect deferring aging.
Only a century ago, the average life expectancy was 42 years. Today, it
has almost doubled.
This is largely due to advances in
medicine and technology. The definition of aging as a natural course
of events of which nothing can be done has passed. Today we see healthy
and active seniors well into their 90s. There
are over 70,000 centenarians in U.S.A. alone and this number is expected
to double in the next 5-10 years. In fact, those over 85 years old represent
the fastest growing segment of the population in the world.
What is Aging?
Those familiar with anti-aging medicine and research now define aging as
nothing more than a disease state characterized by 3 phases:
1. Sub-Clinical Phase, ages 25 to 35:
Most hormone levels start to decrease. Growth
hormone level, for example, has already fallen approximately 14% by age
35. Environmental pollution, poor diet, and stress cause free
radical formation and cellular damage not visible to the naked eye. Outwardly,
there are few clinical symptoms. While you may look and feel good, internal
cellular damage is already happening. Like cancer in its early stages of
development, there are no detectable signs and symptoms by conventional
standards. You look and feel "normal," but
in reality you are in the sub-clinical phase of this disease, whether you
like it or not.
2. Transition Phase, ages 35 to
45:
By age 45, production of many hormones have fallen by more than
25%, and biomarkers are beginning to show signs of aging. Clinical
symptoms such as decreased visual acuity, graying of the hair, increased
pigmenting of the skin, and decreased strength and energy are making their
presence felt on the outside. On the inside, cellular damage
by free radical continues, where the rate of damage depends on your lifestyle.
If not controlled or slowed, mutational changes may lead to cancer.
3. Clinical Phase, ages 45 and above:
Most hormone production continues to decline, including DHEA, Melatonin,
growth
hormone, and male and female sexual hormones. The rate of decline accelerates
as we get older until age 70 or thereabouts. Outwardly, early signs and symptoms of aging seen during
the transition phase worsen. The skin is further dehydrated and
thinned as collagen fibers break down. We call these irreversible lines
"wrinkles."
Musculo-skeletal joint degeneration becomes painfully obvious as arthritis
sets in. Fatigue and loss of energy follow us everywhere. Chronic illnesses
such as hypertension
and diabetes
became very apparent as organs begin to fail. Inwardly, as our cells succumb to assaults, mutation and cancer
can arise. Cancer has now overtaken heart disease as the number one cause
of death.
3. Clinical Phase, ages 45 and above:
Most hormone production continues to decline, including DHEA, Melatonin,
growth
hormone, and male and female sexual hormones. The rate of decline accelerates
as we get older until age 70 or thereabouts. Outwardly, early signs and symptoms of aging seen during
the transition phase worsen. The skin is further dehydrated and
thinned as collagen fibers break down. We call these irreversible lines
"wrinkles."
Musculo-skeletal joint degeneration becomes painfully obvious as arthritis
sets in. Fatigue and loss of energy follow us everywhere. Chronic illnesses
such as hypertension
and diabetes
became very apparent as organs begin to fail. Inwardly, as our cells succumb to assaults, mutation and cancer
can arise. Cancer has now overtaken heart disease as the number one cause
of death.
How do we make sure our cells stay healthy from within? Exercising and following a healthy diet are good starters. However, cutting edge science tells us there is more. There are actually 5 areas to a successful anti-aging program. These 5 areas practiced together can unquestionably help us baby boomers fulfill our passion to defy the effects of time.
The 5 pillars of the eAnti-Aging System are:
- Precision Anti-Aging Exercise
- Balanced Anti-Aging Diet
- Anti-Aging Stress Reduction Techniques
- Natural Hormone Enhancement
- Optimal Anti-Aging Supplementation
I. Precision Anti-Aging Exercise
People who exercise know that they will be stronger and healthier. What people may not realize is that exercise can also make you younger.
Precision Anti-Aging exercises incorporate 3 important components:
a. Flexibility Training for our joints.
b. Cardiovascular Training for our heart.
c. Strength Training for our muscles.
By the time that you are 60, you may have lost up to half your muscular strength, half of your lung capacity, and a good percentage of bone density that accompanies aging. By incorporating a precision anti-exercise program, you can prevent these losses. Have you ever shook the hand of a 65 or 70 year-old person? They have no grip strength and are so frail that you may be worried that shaking their hand will hurt them. Exercise can help maintain that strength for a firm hand shake.
How do strength training and aerobic exercises exhibit anti-aging effects? They stimulate the body to produce growth hormone, a hormone that has been shown to reverse the aging process and rejuvenate aged cells. Stretching exercises help to keep your body lithe and limber enabling you to twist and turn like a young person, without backache or other pain. A good aerobic workout stresses and strengthens the heart.
In addition, there are many cross benefits. Properly performed, strength-training also maintains and builds muscle mass. Since muscle is more metabolically active than fat (meaning that muscle burns more calories than fat), your metabolism will increase and you will ultimately burn more fat.
Aerobic exercise improves your lung capacity. Keeping your aerobic exercise intensity to no more than 65% to 70% of your maximum heart rate will avoid over oxidation. Your personal target heart rate is determined by subtracting your age in years from 220 and multiplying the result by 0.65 or 0.70 to give you 65% or 70% of your maximum heart rate. Keep your heart rate at this level for 20 continuous minutes at least 3 times a week.
II. Balanced Anti-Aging Diet
The acronym SAD for the Standard American Diet could not be more appropriate. The high fat, high sugar, and high salt combination of the average diet has negatively affected our brain and organs so much that our body has a hard time recognizing what's good and what's not.
The problem with most diets is that they are so extreme that they are impossible to follow for more than a short time. You will be delighted to know that together with your commitment, the Anti-Aging diet is safe, enjoyable, and will help you reach or maintain your anti-aging weight, which is 5-10% less than your ideal body weight. For men, the ideal body weight is 106 lbs for the first 5 feet of your height, plus 6 lbs for every in inch after that. Ladies, your ideal body weight is 100 lbs for the first 5 feet of your height, plus 5 lbs for every inch more.
The
general rule of thumb is that a balanced anti-aging diet should be comprised
of a 50/25/25 ratio of
carbohydrate, protein, fat. The carbohydrate should be in the form of fruits
and vegetables. Protein should preferably be from plant sources such as beans
and tofu, with maximum one-third from animal sources like meat.
Fat
(mostly poly and mono-unsaturated) should come from olive oil and nuts rather
than from animal products.Another tip is to not eat when you're not hungry. 5-6 small meals throughout the day are better than 1-3 big meals per day. If you really crave food during the period your stomach is adjusting to smaller meals, eat a piece of fresh fruit. Avoid refined sugar, which can be found in many junk foods including donuts and soft drinks. As you may not be aware of, refined sugar is the worst enemy in your fight against aging as it increases the production of cortisol, an age-inducing hormone.
III. Anti-Aging Stress Reduction
Techniques
Stress is a "silent
Killer." Why? Stress increases the levels of cortisol production in your
body, which accelerates the aging process.
Most stress relief modalities fall into 3 broad
categories: (1) Mental, (2) Physical or (3) Functional.
Mental activities for stress reduction include
music, reading, meditation, singing, praying etc. Physical activities include
exercise and sports, Taisho, Yoga, Tai kwon do, bicycling, window shopping,
walking, swimming etc. Functional style activities include massage, Qigong
and hydro-therapy.
These methods can be mixed and matched.
Find out that works best for you and make stress reduction a habit.
IV. Natural Hormone Enhancement
One of the most important anti-aging hormones is growth
hormone. For some reason yet to be discovered, growth hormone release falls off after we turn 25 years old, dropping
at a rate of 10%- 15% every decade thereafter. The aging process begins
along with this decline in growth hormone output.
Only 1 out of every 10,000 (0.01%) people
carries the longevity gene in his or her chromosome. These fortunate few
have a 20 year longer lifespan than the rest of population. They will become
centenarians (live to 100) regardless of their lifestyle, generally speaking.
The remaining 99.99% of us have to deal with the deterioration of our bodies
as a result of declining hormonal health as we age. .
Changes from the diminished output of growth hormone start to become visible
as early as your 35th birthday. By age 45, the wrinkles are making their
mark and the skin is noticeably thinner along with the hair, which is also
getting more gray. The nails are brittle, the muscles are weak, the breath
is short, and the libido, what's that? The prostate
hypertrophies and the trips to the bathroom at night increase.
The quick way to reverse the downward slide
is by human growth hormone injections. However, injections must be monitored
by a physician. As with any hormone, growth hormone can be fatal if administered
without the proper precautions.
Is there a natural way of replacing our growth hormone? Many naturally oriented
physicians practicing anti-aging medicine believe so. It is done not by
replacing the hormone, but by stimulating your very own pituitary gland
to naturally increase the release of hGH. Substances which stimulate the
pituitary gland in this manner are called secretagogues. Secretagogues are all natural
and side effects are rare. The results, while not as dramatic as injections,
have been very encouraging. Replenishment of growth
hormone from a deficient state can lead to improved sex life, skin tone,
and help to balance other hormones in the body including testosterone,
DHEA, melatonin, pregnenolone, and progesterone.
V. Optimal Anti-Aging
Supplementation
The American diet is deficient
in many essential
nutrients, leading ultimate to premature death that results from degenerative
diseases.
Even if we follow a healthy diet, our way of farming has depleted the soil
of many essential minerals. Furthermore, contemporary farming technology
has yielded nicer looking produce by using pesticides, herbicides, artificial
soils and genetic manipulation. But this is accomplished at the cost of
nutrition. When we add the effects of environmental pollution, and the use
of refined sugar, high fat (especially trans-fat), high simple sugars, and
high salt in our fast-food and manufactured products, our need for proper
supplementation is magnified. To get the amount of minerals, vitamins and
phyto-chemicals necessary for anti-aging effects, we often need to increase
our food intake by 4 to 10 times. For example, a 5,000 calorie diet is needed
just to obtain 400 I.U. of Vitamin E. Diet alone is therefore not a tool we can rely on
solely for our body to receive optimum nutrients.
For this reason, supplementation
is a cornerstone
and key pillar of an effective anti-aging program.
There is no
single "magic bullet " supplement that can reverse aging. However, we do
know that combining supplements in a "cocktail" type formulation may be
the best as the supplements such as vitamins, minerals, herbs, nutritional
factors, enzymes, and antioxidants work synergistically with each other.
Things to Look for
in a Supplement Focused on Anti-Aging
- It
should be customized for your age, sex, body rhythm, and optimum intake
to aggressively deter the three
phases of aging.
- It should help to reverse or rejuvenate the aged body
in a mild manner, optimize organ function, and lower homocysteine,
a major factor in heart disease and Alzheimer's
disease.
- It should contain antioxidants
to help prevent uncontrolled mutation, and to combat the free radicals
directly linked to the deterioration of the immune system and cancer,
fatigue and weakness of muscles. It also contains compounds that maintain
the proper functioning of the kidneys, pancreas, bladder and liver and
stimulate the release of natural growth
hormone and help to prevent catabolism.
- It should contain all the elements needed to help cellular and
biological immune function with inflammation suppression. These
elements also prevent the depletion of hormone such as testosterone,
which is very important for sexual function and libido both in men and
women.
- It should contain properties that act as metabolic and endocrine/hormonal
balancers. This helps to control weight.
It should specifically deal with problems associated with blood
sugar levels, carbohydrate craving, bloating, and excessive
gas production.
- It should have properties to aid stress reduction and act as a
mood balancer.
- It should help to enhance sexual function. A formulation
for men should have protection against prostate
hypertrophy and cancer.
The women's formulation should help balance the hormonal system from pre
to peri to post menopausal state. It should also contain antioxidants
in the optimum amount to fight cellular mutation that leads to cancer.
- It should have ingredients designed to help moisturize the skin,
bring back the luster of hair, promote healthy strong nails, and strengthen
the bones.
- Because many nutrients are
water soluble and quickly excreted from the body, supplements that are
in time-release form is preferred.
To maintain the optimum blood level in our body, supplements should be
taken twice a day - once in the morning with breakfast and once in the
evening with dinner.
- It should be as natural as
possible and manufactured in an FDA licensed
facility in accordance to GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) guidelines.
How to Get Started
Starting
an anti-aging program begins with an evaluation of your current health and lifestyle
needs. This can be done through an office visit with a physician
specializing in anti-aging medicine. The typical consultation should include
a complete history and physical examination. A qualified anti-aging physician
will spend considerable time answering questions and explaining to you the
science part behind an anti-aging program. It is important for you to understand
exactly what you should do, how you should do it, and what you should expect
after you embark on the program.
There are actually 5 areas to a successful anti-aging program. These 5 areas
practiced together can unquestionably help us baby boomers fulfill our passion
to defy the effects of time.
When you consult with an anti-aging
specialist, it is important for you to take the opportunity to ask as many questions as possible. This is
especially critical as it relates to hormone enhancement and supplements
due to the tremendous confusion among the public. Find out from your physician
what is scientifically researched based and what is not. Embarking
on an anti-aging program often involves a change of lifestyle. Those who
are successful are usually well informed and are realistic in their goals.
Depending on your current state of heath, additional laboratory tests may
be needed. A complete anti-aging work-up can cost thousands of dollars.
If you are in relatively good health and wish to embark on an anti-aging
program without going through extensive testing, a good starting point is
to practice the 5 pillars of anti-aging on your own.
| Message from Dr. Lam I hope you have enjoyed reading this article. If you have areas you don’t understand, comments (good or bad), or if you have a specific health concern, feel free to write to me by clicking here. |
About The Author
Michael Lam, M.D., M.P.H., A.B.A.A.M. is a specialist in Preventive and Anti-Aging Medicine. He is currently the Director of Medical Education at the Academy of Anti-Aging Research, U.S.A. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Oregon State University, and his Doctor of Medicine degree from Loma Linda University School of Medicine, California. He also holds a Masters of Public Health degree and is Board Certification in Anti-aging Medicine by the American Board of Anti-Aging Medicine. Dr. Lam pioneered the formulation of the three clinical phases of aging as well as the concept of diagnosis and treatment of sub-clinical age related degenerative diseases to deter the aging process. Dr. Lam has been published extensively in this field. He is the author of The Five Proven Secrets to Longevity (available on-line). He also serves as editor of the Journal of Anti-Aging Research.
For More Information
For the latest anti-aging related health issues, visit Dr. Lam
at www.LamMD.com. Feel free to email
Dr. Lam at dr@LamMD.com if you have any questions.
Reprint Information
This article may, in its unabridged, unaltered form and in its entirety only,
be reprinted and republished without permission provided that it is for personal
and non commercial education use only and further provided that credit be given
to the author, with copyright notice and www.LamMD.com
clearly displayed as source. Written permission from Dr. Lam is required
for all other use.
©2000 Michael Lam, M.D. All Rights Reserved.
| ||||||||||
