Aging: What to expect as you get older
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/aging/HA00040
http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/aging/HA00040/METHOD=print
Looked in the mirror lately only to find a few more wrinkles and gray hairs? Those are just a few of the changes you're likely to notice as you get older. But what exactly is going on with your body? Here's a list of the natural changes you can expect as you age.
Cardiovascular system
Over time, your heart muscle becomes less efficient, working harder to pump the same amount of blood through your body. In addition, your blood vessels lose elasticity. Hardened fatty deposits may form on the inner walls of your arteries (atherosclerosis), narrowing the vessels. The natural loss of elasticity, in combination with atherosclerosis, makes your arteries stiffer, causing your heart to work even harder to pump blood through them. This can lead to high blood pressure (hypertension).
Bones, muscles and joints
Your bones reach their maximum mass between ages 25 and 35. As you age, your bones shrink in size and density. One consequence is that you might become shorter. Gradual loss of density weakens your bones and makes them more susceptible to fracture. Muscles, tendons and joints generally lose some strength and flexibility as you age.
Digestive system
Swallowing and the motions that automatically move digested food through your intestines slow down as you get older. The amount of surface area within your intestines diminishes slightly. The flow of secretions from your stomach, liver, pancreas and small intestine may decrease. These changes generally don't disrupt your digestive process, so you may never notice them. But you might notice more constipation.
Kidneys, bladder and urinary tract
With age, your kidneys become less efficient in removing waste from your bloodstream. Chronic conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure and some medications can damage your kidneys further.
About one in 10 people age 65 and older has experienced a loss of bladder control (urinary incontinence). Incontinence can be caused by a number of health problems, such as obesity, frequent constipation and chronic cough.
Women are more likely than men to have incontinence. Women who've been through menopause might experience stress incontinence as the muscles around the opening of the bladder (sphincter muscles) lose strength and bladder reflexes change. As estrogen levels decline, the tissue lining the tube through which urine passes (urethra) becomes thinner. Pelvic muscles become weaker, reducing bladder support.
In older men, incontinence is sometimes caused by an enlarged prostate, which can block the urethra. This makes it difficult to empty your bladder and can cause small amounts of urine to leak.
Brain and nervous system
The number of cells (neurons) in your brain decreases with age, and your memory becomes less efficient. However, in some areas of your brain, the number of connections between the cells increases, perhaps helping to compensate for the aging neurons and maintain brain function. Your reflexes tend to become slower. You also tend to become less coordinated and may have difficulty with balance.
Eyes
With age, your eyes are less able to produce tears, your retinas thin, and your lenses gradually turn yellow and become less clear. In your 40s, focusing on objects that are close up may become more difficult. Later, the colored portions of your eyes (irises) stiffen, making your pupils less responsive. This can make it more difficult to adapt to different levels of light. Other changes to your lenses can make you sensitive to glare, which presents a problem when driving at night. Common conditions that affect aging eyes include cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration.
Ears
Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting adults who are middle-aged and older. About half of all people older than age 85 experience hearing loss. Over the years, noises can damage the sensory hair cells of your inner ears.
Also, the walls of your auditory canals thin, and your eardrums thicken. You may have difficulty hearing high frequencies. Some people find it difficult to follow a conversation in a crowded room. Changes in the inner ear or in the nerves attached to it, earwax buildup and various diseases can all affect your hearing.
Teeth
How your teeth and gums respond to age depends on how well you've cared for them over the years. But even if you're meticulous about brushing and flossing, you may notice that your mouth feels drier and your gums have pulled back (receded). Your teeth may darken slightly and become more brittle and easier to break.
Most adults can keep their natural teeth throughout their lives. But with less saliva to wash away bacteria, your teeth and gums become slightly more vulnerable to decay and infection. If you've lost most or all of your natural teeth, you might use dentures or dental implants as a replacement.
Some older adults experience dry mouth (xerostomia), which can lead to tooth decay and infection. Dry mouth can also make speaking, swallowing and tasting difficult. Oral cancer is more common among older adults. Your dentist checks for oral cancer when you go for regular cleanings and checkups.
Skin, nails and hair
With age, your skin thins and becomes less elastic and more fragile. You'll likely notice that you bruise more easily. Decreased production of natural oils may make your skin drier and more wrinkled. Age spots can occur, and small growths called skin tags are more common. Your nails grow at about half the pace they once did. Your hair may gray and thin. In addition, you likely perspire less — making it harder to stay cool in high temperatures and putting you at increased risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
How fast your skin ages depends on many factors. The most significant factor is sun exposure over the years. The more sun your skin has been exposed to, the more damaged it may be. Smoking adds to skin damage, such as wrinkles. Skin cancer also is a concern. Your risk of skin cancer increases as you age.
Sleep
Sleep needs change little throughout adulthood. If you need six hours of sleep nightly, chances are you'll always need six hours — give or take 30 minutes. However, as you age, you'll likely find that you sleep less soundly, meaning you'll need to spend more time in bed to get the same amount of sleep. By age 75, some people wake up several times each night.
Weight
As you age, maintaining a healthy weight — or losing weight if you're overweight — may be more difficult. Your metabolism generally slows, meaning that your body burns fewer calories. Calories that were once used to meet your daily energy needs instead are stored as fat. Your level of activity may decrease, resulting in unwanted weight gain.
Sexuality
With age, sexual needs, patterns and performance may change. Women's vaginas tend to shrink and narrow, and the walls become less elastic. Vaginal dryness is a problem. All of this can make sex painful.
Impotence becomes more common in men as they age. By age 65, as many as one in four men has difficulty getting or keeping an erection. In others, it may take longer to get an erection, and it may not be as firm as it used to be.
Healthy changes can improve quality of life as you age
If you think you've already done too much damage to yourself to hope for a long life, think again. Researchers say it's never too late to adopt a healthy lifestyle. For example, if you quit smoking now, your risk of heart disease begins to fall almost immediately.
Living a healthy lifestyle can improve how you age. Try the following:
* Stop smoking.
* Eat a healthy diet full of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
* Exercise for at least 30 minutes most days of the week.
* Maintain a healthy weight.
* Get enough sleep so that you wake feeling rested.
* Follow your doctor's guidance for checkups and health screenings.
Showing posts with label issue: aging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label issue: aging. Show all posts
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Look and Feel Younger By Avoiding the Top Contributors to Aging
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.htm
In 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.
= = = = = = = = = = = = =
http://www.mercola.com/2003/dec/20/feel_younger.htm
Listed 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.
By Dr. Joseph Mercola with Sarah Potts
http://www.mercola.com/2003/dec/17/feel_younger.htm
In 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.
= = = = = = = = = = = = =
http://www.mercola.com/2003/dec/20/feel_younger.htm
Listed 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.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Aging and Weight Gain: How NOT To Get Fatter As You Get Older
Aging and Weight Gain: How NOT to Get Fatter as You Get Older
by www.SixWise.com
You may remember your childhood years fondly as a time of bike rides, endless summers, and visits from the tooth fairy. Among these many pleasures from your younger years was also a seemingly endless metabolism -- and with it the ability to eat as many hamburgers, ice cream sandwiches, French fries and slices of birthday cake as you pleased without gaining a pound.
There's good news: weight gain as you age is NOT inevitable.
Sadly, as you get older, you lose this ability to burn off the calories as quickly, therefore holding on to those cupcakes and cheeseburgers far longer than you'd probably like to, and often in places you surely don't want to, such as your belly, hips and thighs. This begs the question -- why do we get fatter as we get older, and more importantly, can it be avoided?
Aging and Weight Gain -- Inevitable?
While there is no question that we tend to gain weight as we grow older, the big question still remains as to why this weight gain occurs and whether or not it is inevitable. There have been many studies devoted to discovering the causes of this weight gain.
One such study was conducted by Monash University researcher Dr. Zane Andrews, a neuroendocrinologist with the university's department of physiology. This study uncovered that one of the reasons the scale creeps up as you get older is that appetite-suppressing cells are attacked by free radicals after eating -- and this degeneration is more significant following meals rich in carbohydrates and sugars.
People between the ages of 25 and 50 are most at risk according to Dr. Andrews, as the neurons that tell people in this crucial age range not to overeat are being killed off. This reduction in appetite-suppressing cells could be one explanation for the complexity of adult-onset obesity.
What is also a factor is that the modern diet has become increasingly filled with sugars and carbohydrates, which is leading to premature cell deterioration.
Another reason that we gain weight as we get older is that muscles turn to fat as we age, decreasing our muscle mass and increasing body fat. This happens at around 30, when both men and women experience an up to 40% reduction in both muscle and bone mass.
This change, which begins at age 30 and reaches a plateau at about 60 or 70, coincides with a decrease in our physical abilities, affecting reaction time and rate at which we perform tasks. This causes many people to become less physically active, which sabotages their efforts to remain slim, as exercising and maintaining an active lifestyle are crucial to keeping an elevated metabolic rate and winning the battle of the bulge.
If you're between the ages of 25 and 50, eating a lot of carbs and sugar may deteriorate your appetite-suppressing cells.
Studies have shown that both men and women experience these changes similarly. However, women tend to have more difficulty with the weight issue, particularly after menopause, which occurs between the late-40s and early 50s. Around this time, about 60% of women experience some sort of weight gain, usually about a pound a year, most of it accumulating around the stomach. This is particularly frustrating for women due to the fact that the hormonal and metabolic changes that occur during menopause make it difficult, if not impossible, to shed this weight.
Another explanation for growing heavier as we grow older is simple genetics. If you're lucky enough to have a mother or grandmother who was naturally slim, even in their golden years, you might stay that way too. However, if you have relatives who got heavier as they got older, then chances are you may too.
A Weighty Issue
While staying slim is certainly more difficult as you age, for many weight gain is beginning in the younger years. There has been a steady increase in obesity rates among Americans over the last 20 years, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). In fact, Colorado is the only state in the union that has a prevalence of obesity less than 20%! And in 2007, the overall obesity rate jumped to nearly 26%, which is up from 24% in 2005.
While these numbers are distressing enough, what is even more alarming is the rate at which America's children are joining the ever-growing ranks of the obese. Perhaps due to poor diets and more time than ever spent in front of video games, computers, and TV sets, American children are heavier than ever, putting them at risk for diseases typically reserved for adults, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and hypertension.
To help address this crises, the CDC has launched a campaign called "Healthy People 2010," which seeks to decrease the number of obese Americans down to 15% by the year 2010 through a program of nutritional education and motivating people to get out and exercise more. In addition, many states such as New York have banned the use of dangerous trans fats in restaurants and require them to place calorie and fat information in all their menus.
Schools across the nation have begun to take vending machines off campuses and many have banned sugary foods such as cupcakes and candy from parties. And many campaigns, such as Boston's Metrowest Community Healthcare Foundation , have been established with the goal of educating parents about the severity of the problem and encouraging them to get their children away from the video games and out exercising, as well as eating better foods. This advice, while good for children, will also help parents to establish healthier lifestyle habits and hopefully keep to a healthy weight even as they get older.
Taking a Load Off
While weight gain is more likely to happen as you get older, it is not inevitable. There are many things you can do to help fight off those extra pounds. Staying active is key. While it may be tempting to forego physical activity as you age and perhaps your body starts to ache a bit more, exercise is crucial to not only staying slimmer, but to living longer and healthier lives.
The more physically fit you are, the easier it is to fend off disease. Regular exercise not only boosts your immune system, but it's good for your mental well-being too. The endorphins that are released during exercise even help stave off depression and anxiety, common problems faced as we grow older.
Along with exercise, you may also need to reevaluate your diet as you get older. Changing eating habits is never easy, especially if they've been engrained over several decades, but it is necessary if you want to maintain a healthy weight. While it's never good to eat that extra slice of pie on a regular basis, it is particularly important as you get older to avoid these "danger" foods and replace them with foods that cater more to the body's changing nutritional needs. If you are unsure of how best to tweak your diet, there are plenty of nutritionists that are willing to help construct a diet plan that will fit your needs.
For most of us, staying slim is no easy task, especially as we grow older and our bodies start to change. However, getting older doesn't have to equal getting heavier. Taking a few simple steps can help increase your odds of staying slim well into your golden years.
Recommended Reading
What Really Causes the "Beer Belly" in Men and How to Get Rid of Your Gut
Aging Gracefully: Enjoy a Vital, Fulfilling Life Regardless of Age
Sources
Science Daily August 2008
CDC: U.S. Obesity Trends
TheBostonChannel.com
by www.SixWise.com
You may remember your childhood years fondly as a time of bike rides, endless summers, and visits from the tooth fairy. Among these many pleasures from your younger years was also a seemingly endless metabolism -- and with it the ability to eat as many hamburgers, ice cream sandwiches, French fries and slices of birthday cake as you pleased without gaining a pound.
There's good news: weight gain as you age is NOT inevitable.
Sadly, as you get older, you lose this ability to burn off the calories as quickly, therefore holding on to those cupcakes and cheeseburgers far longer than you'd probably like to, and often in places you surely don't want to, such as your belly, hips and thighs. This begs the question -- why do we get fatter as we get older, and more importantly, can it be avoided?
Aging and Weight Gain -- Inevitable?
While there is no question that we tend to gain weight as we grow older, the big question still remains as to why this weight gain occurs and whether or not it is inevitable. There have been many studies devoted to discovering the causes of this weight gain.
One such study was conducted by Monash University researcher Dr. Zane Andrews, a neuroendocrinologist with the university's department of physiology. This study uncovered that one of the reasons the scale creeps up as you get older is that appetite-suppressing cells are attacked by free radicals after eating -- and this degeneration is more significant following meals rich in carbohydrates and sugars.
People between the ages of 25 and 50 are most at risk according to Dr. Andrews, as the neurons that tell people in this crucial age range not to overeat are being killed off. This reduction in appetite-suppressing cells could be one explanation for the complexity of adult-onset obesity.
What is also a factor is that the modern diet has become increasingly filled with sugars and carbohydrates, which is leading to premature cell deterioration.
Another reason that we gain weight as we get older is that muscles turn to fat as we age, decreasing our muscle mass and increasing body fat. This happens at around 30, when both men and women experience an up to 40% reduction in both muscle and bone mass.
This change, which begins at age 30 and reaches a plateau at about 60 or 70, coincides with a decrease in our physical abilities, affecting reaction time and rate at which we perform tasks. This causes many people to become less physically active, which sabotages their efforts to remain slim, as exercising and maintaining an active lifestyle are crucial to keeping an elevated metabolic rate and winning the battle of the bulge.
If you're between the ages of 25 and 50, eating a lot of carbs and sugar may deteriorate your appetite-suppressing cells.
Studies have shown that both men and women experience these changes similarly. However, women tend to have more difficulty with the weight issue, particularly after menopause, which occurs between the late-40s and early 50s. Around this time, about 60% of women experience some sort of weight gain, usually about a pound a year, most of it accumulating around the stomach. This is particularly frustrating for women due to the fact that the hormonal and metabolic changes that occur during menopause make it difficult, if not impossible, to shed this weight.
Another explanation for growing heavier as we grow older is simple genetics. If you're lucky enough to have a mother or grandmother who was naturally slim, even in their golden years, you might stay that way too. However, if you have relatives who got heavier as they got older, then chances are you may too.
A Weighty Issue
While staying slim is certainly more difficult as you age, for many weight gain is beginning in the younger years. There has been a steady increase in obesity rates among Americans over the last 20 years, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). In fact, Colorado is the only state in the union that has a prevalence of obesity less than 20%! And in 2007, the overall obesity rate jumped to nearly 26%, which is up from 24% in 2005.
While these numbers are distressing enough, what is even more alarming is the rate at which America's children are joining the ever-growing ranks of the obese. Perhaps due to poor diets and more time than ever spent in front of video games, computers, and TV sets, American children are heavier than ever, putting them at risk for diseases typically reserved for adults, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and hypertension.
To help address this crises, the CDC has launched a campaign called "Healthy People 2010," which seeks to decrease the number of obese Americans down to 15% by the year 2010 through a program of nutritional education and motivating people to get out and exercise more. In addition, many states such as New York have banned the use of dangerous trans fats in restaurants and require them to place calorie and fat information in all their menus.
Schools across the nation have begun to take vending machines off campuses and many have banned sugary foods such as cupcakes and candy from parties. And many campaigns, such as Boston's Metrowest Community Healthcare Foundation , have been established with the goal of educating parents about the severity of the problem and encouraging them to get their children away from the video games and out exercising, as well as eating better foods. This advice, while good for children, will also help parents to establish healthier lifestyle habits and hopefully keep to a healthy weight even as they get older.
Taking a Load Off
While weight gain is more likely to happen as you get older, it is not inevitable. There are many things you can do to help fight off those extra pounds. Staying active is key. While it may be tempting to forego physical activity as you age and perhaps your body starts to ache a bit more, exercise is crucial to not only staying slimmer, but to living longer and healthier lives.
The more physically fit you are, the easier it is to fend off disease. Regular exercise not only boosts your immune system, but it's good for your mental well-being too. The endorphins that are released during exercise even help stave off depression and anxiety, common problems faced as we grow older.
Along with exercise, you may also need to reevaluate your diet as you get older. Changing eating habits is never easy, especially if they've been engrained over several decades, but it is necessary if you want to maintain a healthy weight. While it's never good to eat that extra slice of pie on a regular basis, it is particularly important as you get older to avoid these "danger" foods and replace them with foods that cater more to the body's changing nutritional needs. If you are unsure of how best to tweak your diet, there are plenty of nutritionists that are willing to help construct a diet plan that will fit your needs.
For most of us, staying slim is no easy task, especially as we grow older and our bodies start to change. However, getting older doesn't have to equal getting heavier. Taking a few simple steps can help increase your odds of staying slim well into your golden years.
Recommended Reading
What Really Causes the "Beer Belly" in Men and How to Get Rid of Your Gut
Aging Gracefully: Enjoy a Vital, Fulfilling Life Regardless of Age
Sources
Science Daily August 2008
CDC: U.S. Obesity Trends
TheBostonChannel.com
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