5 Steps to Anti-Aging

[Guest guest]

Longevity,

Here is an article I just wrote which may be of some small use

to the neophyte in this arena, especially for those who

" cannot see the forest for the trees " , and give some strategy,

as elementary as it might be, around which one might endeavor

to create a realistic anti-aging program.

Vitally yours,

Dr. H. Maher, ABAAHP

Editor, " Longevity News "

subscribe@...

www.RxforWellness.com

" Your FREE AntiAging prescription Online! "

Dr. Maher's " Five Steps to the 100 Year Health Span "

How to Die Young.at a Ripe Old Age!

Nowadays, we can all greatly increase our likelihood of enjoying 100 or more

fully functional, vibrant and robust years of health. But just like

increasing our chances of a robust and healthy bank account in our " golden

years " , investing in our health takes proper planning, diversification, and

sound strategies.

And of course, the sooner you start the better!

Therefore, I proffer the following " Five Steps to the 100 Year Health Span " .

Before we start, I wish to underscore that I use the term " health span " to

indicate that we are not talking about merely continuing to breath, (perhaps

w/ the assistance of oxygen canisters) as we begin slow decades of decline

into a more or less vegetative state in a nursing home, bereft of mind,

memory and mobility and/or blind, crippled , hunched over and dependant. No,

the goal here, to quote a famous anti-aging doctor, is to " die young.at a

ripe old age! "

The Five Steps

Step 1> Cultivate and inculcate " Ha-Ha-Hah! " ; healthy attitudes, healthy

activities and healthy alimentary habits!

Step 2 > Keeping moderation in mind, endeavor to minimize exposure to

oxidants and toxicants, while optimizing antioxidant and detoxicant intake.

Step 3 > Endeavor to keep the " Hormones of Age " , insulin and cortisol, under

control.

Step 4 > Endeavor to maintain the " Hormones of Youth " at optimum levels.

These include human growth hormone, melatonin, thymosins, thyroid (and

perhaps parathyroid)

hormone, and the steroid hormones pregnenolone, DHEA, progesterone,

testosterone

and the estrogens.

Step 5 > Reviewing as best you can your historical lifestyle and genetic

risk factors, " shore up " your likely weak points with a specific strategy.

For example, do lifetime habits and exposures and/or genetic tendency

strongly predilect you to heart disease, diabetes, dementia, or cancer? Have

they perhaps already shown themselves to one extant or the other? Than take

preventative action specific to said threat in addition to the four steps

above.

These steps might be visualized as steps along a pyramid. By this I means

that each step is best built upon the foundation of the previous more basic

and foundational step. The best way to build your own " pyramid of health " is

to build the foundation first, and then proceed one step at a time, in

order.

Step One: Ha-Ha-Hah!

" The more you cover the basics, the less you need of anything else. "

The above quote of Rick Armstrong, heavyweight kickboxing champion, was oft

repeated to his students. It is just a applicable here.

Ha-ha-hah! Stands for healthy attitude, healthy activity and healthy

alimentary habits!

The later means those things we habitually put into our mouths. (The former

two oft relate to what comes out of them!)

The primacy of healthy attitude is perhaps best argues by Lynn s Adler,

J.D, author of " Centenarians: The Bonus Years " .

" I have found after interviewing thousands of centenarians and their

families and in my 14 years of working with centenarians in public and

private celebrations, media events, travel and leisure that centenarians who

are successful in active, engaged living at 100 years have the following

five traits, attitudes, behaviors or as some would say, personalities:

" A love of life

A positive, yet realistic attitude

The courage & willingness to use modern medical interventions when needed

A spiritual or religious belief

And a remarkable ability to renegotiate life at every turn adjusting to and

accepting the inevitable losses that come with longevity. "

Healthy activity encompasses not only physical activity, but mental activity

(left and right brain), social activity and spiritual activity.

Physical activities should be varied and promote strength, flexibility,

endurance and balance.

Mental activities should include the new, different and challenging. These

may range from a new avocation, taking a new class, taking up chess and

crossword puzzles, and staying active in those fields about which you are

still passionate, to writing/playing music, engaging in works of art, or

writing prose or poetry.

Social activity is always essential to robust health, particularly as you

begin to outlive your family and friends. We must commit ourselves to

constantly building and re-building close meaningful relationships.

Spiritual activities refers to any activity that gets us in touch with what

we feel as our deepest selves. No matter how hard we try, as we age our

ability to engage in physical activities diminish. For is not the " gold " of

the golden years in the enjoyment of the fruits of wisdom and awareness that

comes from a life of reflection, a life based on sound values, and of

knowing for oneself what really matters?

Healthy alimentary habits refers to what we eat and drink, the alimentary

canal being that tube that begins at our lips and ends at our anuses.

Whether it be a Seven Day Adventist, Mediterranean or Okinawan diet, the

core essentials are more or less the same; eating smaller, frequent, and

varied minimally processed of mostly plant based meals. And lots of pure

fresh water!

It is of interest to note that the latest " diet " of interest is the Okinawan

diet. The Okinawan islands have the highest proportion of centenarians in

the world - 33.6 per 100,000 people. A low-calorie diet abundant in soy,

vegetables and fish is being credited for the fact. But also note that a

study of 600 Okinawan residents who are 100 years old or older found that

they share the same lifestyle factors - regular exercise, moderate alcohol

intake, strong belief systems and social networks.

It has been said that " laughter is the best medicine " . So let me encourage

you to take the first step and start, " ha-ha-hah-ing " your way to a 100 year

health- span today!

Step 2 : Minimize Exposure To Oxidants and Toxicants, Optimize Antioxidant

and Detoxicant Intake.

There are many theories of aging. Two of the more popular are the Free

Radical Theory and the Waste Accumulation Theory.

" Free radical " describes any molecule that differs from conventional

molecules in that it possesses a free electron, a property that makes it

react with other molecules in highly volatile and destructive ways. That

destruction is known as oxidation. Oxidation is that process when slow

causes iron to rust, when moderate causes a cut apple exposed to air to turn

brown, and when rapid causes paper to burn!

Oxidation reactions occur inside of us when we turn food into energy. That

is why we need to breath in oxygen all the time.

Free radicals are not only produced inside us, but we take them in through

smoking, food, air and water pollution, x-rays, sun exposure, household

chemicals, and environmental poisons to name the most common.

" Aging is a disease. The human life span simply reflects the level of free

radical oxidative damage that accumulates in cells. When enough damage

accumulates, cells can't survive properly anymore and they just give up . "

E.R. Stadtman, researcher on aging, NIH.

The Waste Accumulation Theory states that eventually our cells produce or

imbibe more waste than they can properly eliminate. These accumulate,

eventually interfering with normal function, ultimately killing the cell.

Indeed, the " age spots " we older folks might find appearing in our skins is

just such an accumulation (lipofuscin)!

Now, of course our bodies have built in antioxidant and detoxication

mechanisms. These mechanisms depend highly on proper nutrition for the " raw

materials " . Only more recently have we come to realize that natural whole

foods, spices and herbs that we humans have traditionally eaten are also

filled with their own antioxidants and detoxifiers, which we can then

utilize as well!

For example, one reason carrots are good for you is because they contain

several antioxidants carotenoids, only one of which is the most abundant and

well known, beta carotene, the precursor to Vit. A. And prunes offer much

more than just fiber. Like most deep red, blue or purple fruits, they are

super rich in antioxidant flavonoids and oligoproanthrocyanosides (OPC's).

Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts and

such) are highly touted because they help our livers breakdown toxins to

harmless, even useful chemicals, some of which are the potentially toxic

forms of estrogen. (isothiocyantes)

Perhaps more familiar is the idea of eating lots of fiber, which helps

" clean out " our disposal system, and can even rid our blood of excess " bad "

LDL cholesterol.

Of course on the other side, it is wise to minimize or at least moderate

exposure and intake of oxidants and toxins as best as reasonably possible.

Do we need to take additional antioxidants and detoxifiers? Well, the

general answer is that the more we have followed the last " Hah " of Step One,

healthy alimentary habits, eating a moderate calorie, micro-nutrient dense

diet of small, frequent meals rich in fruits and vegetables of all the

colors, beans and legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, cold water fish,

lean free range (even wild) meats and eggs, and used a variety of health

promoting fermented foods, herbs, spices and healthy oils (like olive or

rice bran oil), then the less we need " supplementation " . And the more we

have been or continue to be exposed to oxidizing radiations, chemicals,

poisons and pollutants, the more we need to consider adding supplemental

antioxidants and detoxifiers.

Step 3 : Keep Down the " Hormones of Age " , Insulin, Cortisol,(and DHT).

The Neuro-Endocrine Theory of Aging tells us that we age because as we past

our prime some hormones get lower and some get higher. Unfortunately, the

three most common ones to get higher, insulin, cortisol and DHT, are all

generally considered " bad " , at least when in more or less constant excess.

Have you ever wondered why diabetes is often called " Adult Onset " diabetes?

This by far most common form of diabetes is hall marked by hyperglycemia,

meaning too much blood sugar. The reason for this excess sugar is that in

order for sugar to get from our blood into our cells where it can be used

for energy, insulin must carry said sugars into our cells. With adult onset

diabetes, the insulin receptors become unresponsive or resistant, leading to

" insulin resistance " . To combat this resistance, our bodies make more

insulin. Because of insulin's many " jobs " , this rise in turn leads to fat

storage, especially around the middle, a " catabolic " breakdown of muscle,

and bad triglyceride and cholesterol levels, leading to pot-bellied men,

apple shaped women, and cardiovascular disease in both, a disease syndrome

now ominously know as " Syndrome X " !

Even this excess insulin eventually fails, and blood sugar climbs eventually

spilling over into the urine. This excess sugar in the blood infiltrates our

bodie's protein tissues with Advanced Glycation End-products. That's AGE's

for short! It is this process that leads to blindness, peripheral

neuropathy, non-healing foot ulcers, kidney disease, hardening of the

arteries and the like. And perhaps up to half of all diabetics do not even

know they have diabetes or pre diabetes!

Everyone knows that stress is the ultimate ager. Did you ever wonder why?

Well it may be that ongoing stress causes continuous high levels of

cortisol, the major stress hormone. Though this hormone is vital in helping

us cope with true emergencies and threats, continued high levels literally

" eat us up inside " , and throws our metabolism into a catabolic state, or

state of breaking down, faster then we repair or build ourselves back up.

DHT stands for dehydrotestosterone. It is a metabolite of testosterone that

tends to rise with age and is thought to be in large part responsible for

male pattern baldness and benign prostatic hypertrophy, also known as BHP.

It is important to note that the best way to control blood sugar and insulin

is a high fiber, low sugar, healthy fat and protein, nutrient dense,

moderate calorie diet of small, frequent meals combined with regular

exercise. Yes, step one! And antioxidants help protect us from highly

oxidizing, immoderate, carbohydrate laden meals (step two).

And yes, for those of us that already suffer from dysglycemias, there are

supplements like chromium, niacin, magnesium, vanadium, and flax and fish

oils, or herbs like cinnamon, that can help restore our insulin sensitivity.

And there are herbs like gymnema sylvestre and fenugreek, and antioxidants

like vitamin C and alpha lipoic acid, that can help lower blood sugar and

protect against AGE infiltration.

And of course today there are better and better medications should these

more natural products prove ineffective.

Now one of the best ways to lower cortisol is to exercise. Another is to

make time for relaxation, meditation and/or " re-creation " . Indeed, just

being deeply attentive to some of the more relaxing pieces of classical

music has been shown to dramatically reduce stress hormones. We should not

over look adequate sleep, frequent hugs, and social support. A positive

spiritual value system that gives deeper meaning to the unavoidable trials

and tribulations of life and tends to keep ones endeavors from the pitfalls

of endless striving for material things and worldly recognition should not

go unconsidered.

Minimizing caffeine, sugar, nicotine and alcohol, which are more or less

toxic drugs we commonly use, and sometimes abuse, to temporarily manipulate

our brain chemicals to change our state, is a positive step in the right

direction. These all of course are actually step one and two endeavors!

Of course, few of us live like Okinawans. So fortunately, there are

nutrients that will lower cortisol and/or help minimize its effects. These

include nutrients like phosphatydilserine, vitamins C, B5, and B6, herbs to

help one relax and sleep like valerian and kava kava, and even other

hormones like DHEA and melatonin.

We still struggle with " cures' for male pattern baldness, but you don't need

lots of hair to live to a spry old age. But swollen prostates are another

matter! Healthy prostates need

zinc and omega three fats from nuts and seeds, antioxidant like green tea,

selenium and lycopene (from tomatoes, watermelon and apricots), and last but

certainly not least, regular exercise, including sex!

And if one already suffers, there are herbs like saw palmetto and nettles

that usually work to lower " toxic " levels of DHT as well and with less side

effects than prescription medications.

But notice how the very best way to follow step three is to follow steps one

and two!

Step 4: Maintain the " Hormones of Youth "

Recall that in step 3 we said that the Neuro-Endocrine Theory of Aging tells

us that we age because some hormones get lower and some get higher. As

anyone over forty can tell the ones that get lower with age must be the

" hormones of youth " !

The hormones of youth are by and large anabolic hormones. That means

hormones that build us up. There are two kinds, the amino acid based

hormones and the steroid hormones.

The amino acid based hormones include human growth hormone (hgh), melatonin,

thymus (immune system) hormones, and thyroid hormones. These hormones help

us to grow, sleep, fight off microbial invaders and cancers, and burn fat as

energy. As we get old we must admit there is a tendency to shrink, wake

frequently ay night, get deadly pneumonias and cancer, and get fat and

tired.

The steroid hormones are made from cholesterol, which is why a very low

cholesterol is associated with increased morbidity! Cholesterol becomes

pregnenolone which can either become mostly cortisol when highly stressed,

or turn into one of the sex hormones like progesterone and DHEA and from

there to testosterone and the estrogens. These later hormones help keep us

trim, strong, sharp and well. sexy!

It should be noted that a good way to help maintain a more youthful hgh and

testosterone level is to perform regular medium intense exercise, like heavy

weight lifting and wind sprints. Even optimizing zinc and magnesium can help

raised testosterone levels. Or to play truly competitive sports and win! Sex

three times a week works, too! (No, I can't write you a prescription!) And

the same contemplation of classical music that lowers cortisol greatly

enhances DHEA. Perhaps more familiar is that there are plant estrogens

(phytoestrogens) in foods like soy, alfalfa and flax and herbs like black

cohosh.

We should also know that insulin and hgh are antagonists, while DHEA and

cortisol ratios (10 to 1, respectively) are more important than absolute

levels.

So again we see how following the previous steps 1, 2 and 3 may minimizes

the need for step four, while also supporting any endeavors in that

direction.

Nonetheless, if there is one breakthrough that truly birthed the modern

anti-aging movement it is the discovery of more or less affordable,

reliable, safe and convenient ways to restore the hormones of youth to a

more " youthful " level in those of us well into middle age and older. Here is

first arena that we have it over those locales and cultures which much more

easily support a lifestyle that follows steps one and two from the cradle to

the grave.

Estrogen was the first hormone of youth used on a wide scale as a " youth

hormone " , and it is still commonly prescribed for the symptoms of menopause.

Menopause is a time when estrogen levels do not merely slowly decline like

the other hormones of youth as we progress into enter middle age. Estrogens

often plunge, relatively speaking!

Unfortunately, the estrogen prescribed is mostly synthetic estradiol, taken

from the urine of a mare! And often it is prescribed with little

investigation into the total steroid hormone picture, including the other

two main estrogens (estriol and estrone), as the steroid hormone functions

are intertwined in a delicate balance.

Today, however, we can find doctors more familiar with anti-aging paradigms

who will by thorough questioning, exam, and lab testing determine which, if

any, of the steroid hormones need to be enhanced, preferring natural

(meaning identical to human) hormones to synthetics analogues (almost like

human hormones).

And anti-aging doctors do the same for men as well, who also experience a

middle-aged sex hormone decline, albeit much more gradual, called the

androcline.

Though the promise inherent in optimizing the hormones of youth is exciting,

admittedly we are on the frontier, with much to be learned, and if history

is any judge, some things will be learned the hard way. This same promise

has also regrettably, though hardly surprisingly, lead to marketing

hyperbole, questionable products, and profit driven encouragement of

indiscriminate " shot gun " use. As always, but in this arena especially,

caveat emptor!

But at the same time, let's not throw the baby out with the bath water! Just

make sure to proceed with guidance and the proper tools and resources

necessary for a science-based pursuit of vital longevity.

Step 5: Shore Up Your High Risk Factors

Half of us will die of cardiovascular disease. The other 35% of us will die

of cancer, diabetes and pneumonia. Interestingly, a recent Hopkins

Medical Letter found that Okinawans have 80 per cent fewer heart attacks and

75 per cent fewer cancers of the breast, ovaries and prostate than North

Americans. So step one is again the most important step!

But you dear reader are likely not genetically or culturally Okinawan. We

have most of us lead more or less typical western lives for much, if not all

of our lives. Therefore, we likely have weak points that we can identify

early and take specific steps to try to restore, as much as reasonably

possible, healthy structure and function to those aspects of our physiology.

For too many of us that major risk factor is obesity. This of course is a

huge topic, but let me suffice it to say that that lean body mass

optimization strategy which best incorporates the above four steps is that

strategy that is both most likely to bring long lasting results and the

related health benefits for which we seek.

Senile dementia is of course frightening to many of us, for it takes away

our independence, our dignity and, as we age perhaps our even more precious

possessions, our very minds and families. In addition to the four steps

above, there are true " brain foods " , called nootroopics, both over the

counter and prescription, that truly, as Grace Slick once encouraged us,

" feed our heads " . Over 25% of peoples over 65 already have clinical signs of

senile dementia. So some of us should start these nootropics as early as our

40's!

We can counter the downward spiraling effects of age related mild or

mild-moderate depression using natural products that help restore a more

youthful profile of brain messenger chemicals (neurotransmitters),

restoring for us the joi de vie.

Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in those over 65. But

today we can diagnose it early, and help delay its onset by using herbs

(gingko biloba, vinpocetine) that increase the flow of blood and oxygen to

our retina's and special antioxidants (from fruits and vegetables) that

protect them from the oxidizing effects of ultra violet light. We can do the

much the same for cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic neuropathy if we start

early.

Osteoporosis is one of the banes of those who have made it into their 80's,

often in otherwise good health. This is equally true for both men and women

by that age by the way! And just taking calcium and estrogen is clearly NOT

the answer. But today we can measure our bone density in middle age and

begin and monitor the progress of our efforts by simple urine tests to see

what truly is and is not working for us. And then adding to the four steps

above, we can supplement macro and trace minerals efficaciuosly.

Osteoarthritis is almost universally familiar to at least some extant to

those of us over 50, and not a few of us even earlier. But today, instead of

just temporarily masking the pain with non-steroidal anti-inflammatories

(NSAIDS) we can take those nutrients, like glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM,

that help to keep our cartilage young, moist, springy and pain free.

In all these Step 5 endeavors the following are generally true:

1. The earlier we start the better and the more likely over the counter

products will useful, as compared to prescribed medications.

2. The more we incorporate the above first four steps, no matter how

tardily, the more likely the success with over the counter products or, as

needed, prescription meds.

In closing, let me say that I know that all the above means considerable

effort and investment of time and money. But let me prophecy as follows:

We all most likely will either invest our time and money in our health and

longevity, or we will spend our time and money on our diseases as we age.

The only sure way out of this conundrum is to die earlier than most!

If, as the old and infirm have constantly reminded us, that " there is no

wealth greater than health " , then let me encourage you to start investing

wisely, starting today.

Come and grow younger with us!

Vitally yours,

Dr. H. Maher, ABAAHP

Editor, " Longevity News "

subscribe@...

www.RxforWellness.com

" Your FREE AntiAging prescription Online! "