Look and Feel Younger by Avoiding the Top Contributors to Aging
By Dr. Joseph Mercola with Sarah Potts
http://www.mercola.com/2003/dec/17/feel_younger.htmIn a general sense, premature aging means that outwardly the way you
appear is older than it should be for your age, and inwardly the way you
feel and the way your brain, bones and the rest of your body functions is
below par to what it should be for your age. Your appearance is
inextricably linked to your “inside” health, of course, as is how long and
how well you live. Therefore, taking the necessary steps to avoid
premature aging is a crucial goal.
While multiple factors can contribute to premature aging, none are so
prevalent in the United States, Canada, Australia, and most of Europe than
the over-consumption of grains and sugars. As detailed below, not only
will avoiding this form of carbs and instead eating the right foods
prevent premature aging but also no matter what your condition today, it
will also actually help you look and feel younger than you currently do.
Insulin Levels
It is vital to understand what insulin actually is. Insulin is something
all humans have, as without it we would go into hyperglycemic coma and
die, but nearly all of us have insulin levels that are too high.
The pancreas releases insulin--produced by beta cells--after you eat
carbohydrates. This causes a rise in blood sugar. Insulin ensures your
cells receive some blood sugar necessary for life, and increases glycogen
storage. However, it also drives your body to use more carbohydrate, and
less fat, as fuel. And, insulin converts almost half of your dietary
carbohydrate to fat for storage. In other words, when we eat too much
carbohydrate, we're essentially sending a hormonal message, via insulin,
to the body (actually, to the adipose cells). The message: "Store fat."
Not only do increased insulin levels tell the body to store carbohydrates
as fat, they also tell it not to release any stored fat. This makes it
impossible for you to use your own stored body fat for energy. So the
excess carbohydrates in your diet not only make you fat, they make sure
you stay fat.
High levels of insulin can cause major damage to your body. The most
recognized of these is diabetes. In addition, hypertension, obesity, high
levels of cholesterol and other lipids, heart disease, kidney disease,
female infertility and neurodegeration are all causes of eating too many
carbohydrates, resulting in high insulin levels.
If you want to use more fats for energy, the insulin response must be
moderated. Diets high in refined sugars release more insulin thereby
allowing less stored fat to be burned.
The #1 Way to Avoid Premature Aging: Avoid Sugars and Grains
If you look and/or feel older than you should, whether the symptoms are
showing themselves in your skin, face, bones, energy, or mind, chances are
that the excess sugars and grains in your diet are the primary culprit. We
all need a certain amount of carbohydrates, of course, but we need the
good carbohydrates that foods like vegetables provide.
In other words, the popular Atkins diet got it partly right--people are
consuming too many carbs, but more particularly, they’re consuming too
many of the carbs found in grains and sugars while most are not consuming
enough of the healthy carbs found in vegetables.
Through the Western addiction to grains, sweets, soft drinks, and
high-starch foods like potatoes, the modern diet virtually guarantees that
not only will a majority of the population become overweight, but they
will also look and feel much older than they should. That’s because any
meal or snack high in the carbohydrates found in grains and sugars
generates a rapid rise in blood glucose. To adjust for this rise, the
pancreas secretes the hormone insulin into the bloodstream, which lowers
the glucose.
Unfortunately, the body is not designed to accommodate these unnaturally
high levels of insulin spiked by grains and sugars. So not only does this
excess insulin store calories from the carbs in the form of fat (which is
why so many are overweight and obese these days), but the excess insulin
also suppresses essential hormones and the immune system--all absolutely
essential for avoiding premature aging.
Meanwhile, in addition to avoiding grains and sugars to avoid premature
aging, what you should be eating instead also has everything to do with
it. If you really want to look and feel younger, live longer and prevent
disease, and optimize your weight while you are at it, the key to remember
is this:
Eating the right forms of foods--the right forms of carbohydrates,
proteins and fats--is absolutely essential.
Eating the right proportion of these carbohydrates, proteins and fats for
your specific body biochemistry, or “metabolic type,” is also absolutely
essential.
Eat the Right Forms of Foods to Look and Feel Younger
There are healthy forms of carbohydrates, fats and proteins that make all
the difference in the world to whether you will age prematurely or look
and feel as young as you are supposed to (and prevent disease and live
longer). You should not “reduce all carbs” in your diet, as some popular
diets suggest, but instead reduce or completely eliminate the bad carbs
like grains and sugars and instead eat the healthy carbs like
vegetables--particularly vegetables that grow above ground (most root
vegetables are high in starch and would best be limited).
Similarly, you should focus on eating healthy fats and proteins, like
those found in naturally raised meats, toxin-free fish, and healthy oils
like coconut oil.
To delve into all the carbs, fats and proteins you should avoid and those
you should be consuming takes an entire book--and I have written that
book, which I encourage you to consider if you really want to avoid
premature aging--but on the topic of avoiding premature aging by eating
the right foods, here are a few links you can explore right now:
Reduce Grains and Sugars to Improve Health
Increase Intake of Omega-3 Fats to Prevent Disease
Six Foods that Will Give You the Most Health Bang for Your Buck
What Does Europe’s Ban of Most U.S. Meats Mean to You?
Why Do You Need Organic Food?
Trans-fat: What is It, and Why is It So Dangerous?
Eat Clean Poultry If you can’t find it locally we have Free-Range
Certified 100% Organic Chicken: An Exceptionally Clean, Healthy and
Delicious Source of Protein
Eat the Right Proportion of Carbs, Proteins and Fats for Your Metabolic
Type
Just as important as eating the right forms of carbs, proteins and fats
are eating the right proportion of them for your particular body
biochemistry. For some this may be a new concept, but there is a reason
most people fail on those one-size-fits-all diets: just as on the outside
you are unique, on the inside you are unique as well. In other words, your
body biochemistry, or metabolism, is distinct, and therefore you have
distinct nutritional needs.
One of the most important steps you should take right now if you want to
avoid premature aging (and optimize your weight and increase your energy)
is to learn your metabolic type, and then start eating the right
proportion of healthy carbs, proteins and fats for your type.
My book presenting my entire dietary program is a must-have resource if
you do not know your metabolic type or the proportions of nutrients you
should be consuming to ensure you look and feel younger. It provides a
test and the means to help you determine your type, and a full
understanding of how to find the proportions of foods that are ideal for
you.
Beyond proportions, there are certain healthy foods that are ideal for one
metabolic type that are not as ideal for other types. For instance, if you
are a “Protein Type,” there are six types of vegetables that you should
definitely be eating to help you avoid premature aging, optimize weight
and live longer.
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http://www.mercola.com/2003/dec/20/feel_younger.htmListed below are several other contributors to premature aging that you
should be aware of.
Cigarettes
Whether you smoke yourself or are around people who do, cigarette smoke
exposes you to damaging free radicals that will accelerate the aging
process by damaging the microcapillaries in the skin. This limits the
skin’s ability to absorb nutrients, which accelerates wrinkling and aging.
Antioxidants, such as those found in fresh vegetables and fruit like
organic blueberries, can help to fight free-radical damage and will
naturally promote healthy, young-looking skin. A diet with plenty of
vegetables will also provide plenty of micronutrients and antioxidants.
Lack of Sleep
Regularly catching only a few hours of sleep can hinder metabolism and
hormone production in a way that is similar to the effects of aging.
I think most of us do not fully appreciate the value of a full night’s
sleep. Getting seven hours is an absolute minimum for most all of us, and
most of us would benefit from closer to nine hours. In the winter months
try and be in bed by 9 p.m., other months, 10 p.m. would be ideal. Read
“Sleep Well to Live Well” for all of my recommendations on how to sleep
for your health.
Distilled Water
Many health conscious people are often surprised to hear me state that
distilled water on a routine basis may actually damage your health. While
the issue of distilled water is somewhat controversial in natural medicine
circles, I believe distilled water is an active absorber and when it comes
into contact with air, it absorbs carbon dioxide, making it acidic. The
more distilled water a person drinks, the higher the body acidity becomes.
More importantly the water loses its healthy structure. If you do a search
on Google you will find the many health benefits of properly structured
water. This maybe is the single largest reason why distilled water is not
a wise choice.
The most toxic commercial beverages that people consume (i.e. cola
beverages and other soft drinks) are made from distilled water. Studies
have consistently shown that heavy consumers of soft drinks (with or
without sugar) lose huge amounts of calcium, magnesium and other necessary
trace minerals into their urine.
Additionally, distilled water will tend to leach healthy minerals from
your body, which is very difficult to compensate for in the long run, even
with mineral supplements. The more mineral loss the greater the risk for
osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, hypothyroidism, coronary artery disease,
high blood pressure and a long list of degenerative diseases generally
associated with premature aging. Read, “Drink More Spring or Filtered
Water to Improve Every Facet of Your Health” for details on drinking
clean, healthy water.
The Sun
Exposing your skin to intense sunlight (UV-A rays) for an extended period
of time may result in sunburn, wrinkling and premature aging. Sunburned
skin is more susceptible to damage and may age more quickly. Also please
read my article, “Sunscreen is a toxic chemical” to learn about the
dangers of sunscreen use.
Remember that sunlight is not something to be avoided. You need sunlight
in order for the body produce vitamin D. The key is to gradually build up
your resistance to the sun by going out slowly in the beginning of the
season, perhaps 10 minutes at a time to start, and always avoid getting
burned.
Certain Diets
A recurrent cycle of gaining and losing weight will cause your skin to
stretch and become less elastic. As you age, this loose skin will be more
prone to sagging and wrinkles simply by the force of gravity. If you need
to lose weight, my book is designed to help you keep the weight off for
good.
Omega-3
The main sources of omega-6 fats are vegetable oils such as corn and soy
oil that contain a high proportion of linoleic acid. Please read my
article “The Great Con-ola” to learn more about the dangers of these oils.
It has become clear that an excess of omega-6 fatty acids can have dire
consequences, and most people are consuming far too much omega-6 while
consuming not nearly enough omega-3.
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential to healthy skin. Making sure you get
enough omega-3 in your diet, by taking high-quality fish oil or cod liver
oil regularly, will help to keep your skin looking young and healthy.
Dry Skin
Finally, using virgin coconut oil as you would any lotion is an ideal way
to rejuvenate skin. Not only does it prevent the formation of damaging
free radicals and protect against them, but also it can help to keep the
skin from developing liver spots and other blemishes caused by aging and
overexposure to sunlight.
