Dr. Lam Author of
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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.
Anti-Aging Protocol
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
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.
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