The Baby-Boomer's Anti-Aging Program
As baby boomers we not only want to look good, we also want to
feel good. And "good' usually means "young". We
see our elderly parents suffer, and we want to avoid getting old
as much as we want to avoid owning the wrong stocks. To this end,
we buy exercise equipment and gym memberships, health and organic
foods - all in a desperate attempt to stay looking and feeling
good. Our body is made up of trillions cells. Aging starts when
cell death starts. An effective anti-aging program must therefore
address the cell as the starting point. If we can defer cell
death, we are in effect deferring aging.
Only a century ago, the average life expectancy was 42 years.
Today, it has almost doubled. This is largely due to advances in
medicine and technology. The definition of aging as a natural
course of events of which nothing can be done has passed. Today
we see healthy and active seniors well into their 90s. There are
over 70,000 centenarians in U.S.A. alone and this number is
expected to double in the next 5-10 years. In fact, those over 85
years old represent the fastest growing segment of the population
in the world.
What is aging?
Those familiar with anti-aging medicine and research now
define aging as nothing more than a disease state characterized
by 3 phases:
1.) Sub-Clinical Phase, ages 25 to 35:
Most hormone levels start to decrease. Growth hormone level,
for example, has already fallen approximately 14% by age35.
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 has 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, acres
45 and above:
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.
