Thursday, April 03, 2008
Anti-Aging
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Science has made stunning discoveries in this area of human interest, it's something we all want to know -- can we slow down the process of aging, can we live longer and if so, how? It's a highly technical subject, too detailed to look at in-depth within just one article.
But, we can give you some powerful pointers to help slow down the aging process and increase your chances of a healthier old age.
With these facts at your fingertips, you'll be in a better position choosing the nutritional products you need for improved health.
What Determines your Biological Age?
Our parents precondition us from a young age to believe that we'll live to a certain age. We walk around with a particular notion in our subconscious that we have a pre-defined lifespan of between 60-90 years.
But there is no definitive speed at which a person should gracefully age because we are all so different. Some people seem to look and act eternally young, ageless, wrinkleless! Others, less fortunate, look old beyond their years.
Our body's biological age is a reflection of our physical, mental and spiritual journey through life. In perfect conditions, our bodies can survive to an age of 125 years!
Look at the two very different characters below, the potential for aging becomes quite obvious when you compare such a stark difference in lifestyle.
Character 1
Regularly takes part in enjoyable exercise.
Has an enjoyable career and tolerates healthy stress.
Generally happy in relationships with spouse and offspring.
Is an active member of the community, enjoying many friendships.
Seeks to learn new things and develop personally.
Eats a balanced, healthy diet.
Takes supplements with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Tends to forgive and forget.
Has a sense of worth and purpose in life.
Has stability and routine in life.
Character 2
Leads a sedentary lifestyle.
Is overweight.
Has an inability to cope with pressure.
Leads an isolated life: working alone, few friendships/family.
Poor or limited career opportunities.
Eats too much food (comfort eating).
Eats the wrong types of food (junk).
Drinks excess alcohol.
Smokes cigarettes.
Regular visits to doctor for various illnesses.
Harbours resentment, anger, fear.
Has a lack of purpose and self worth.
Has a lack of stability and routine.
The Speed at Which You Age is Directly Connected to Your Lifestyle!
The person on the left has all the attributes to significantly slow down the aging process and live to a ripe old age with good health. The person on the right is degenerating and aging FAST!
But how many people do you know with such an idealistic, perfect lifestyle? And which areas of our lives are the most likely to accelerate the aging process? There is one area we can get to work on straight away, an area we all indulge in on a daily basis: Food. Food (our fuel) allows us to enjoy all the other areas of life!
Food Can Age You or it Can Help Keep You Young
Would you like some more free radicals with your lunch?
There is frequent mention in the media about free radicals, and how they are constantly attacking the body, causing potentially serious damage. Free radicals is the name given to molecules that have an unpaired electron, they are a normal by-product of metabolism and without them you would die.
To put the record straight, it's the over-production of free radicals that causes damage to the body. We are advised by nutritional experts to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables because they are rich in antioxidant phytonutrients, substances that can neutralise free radicals and so help protect the body.
Effective Antioxidants include Vitamins A, C, E; Minerals such as Selenium, Zinc; and Herbs such as Aloe Vera and Grapeseed Extract.
One of the essential tasks of free radicals is in producing energy from the food you eat. Every time you eat, free radical activity is intense. The more food you eat, the more free radicals are formed and the more antioxidants your body needs to neutralise them. Big meals are big trouble!
Big meals are too much stress!
Food is in abundance: look around the supermarket shelves at the food mountain! Fill your trolley, take it home and fill your kitchen cupboards. Fill your plate and fill your stomach until you can barely move.
How many times a week do you overeat? How many free radicals are attacking your body and accelerating the aging process? You could choose to eat less.
The Reality of Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are root vegetables, pasta, rice, bread, grains, fruit, pastries, cakes, biscuits, crisps, sweets etc. They are easy to prepare, filling, tasty and cheap. Most meals are dominated by carbohydrates, as most of us fill up on them. When you eat carbohydrates, youre eating a form of sugar: carbohydrates are converted by the body into glucose, which is either used immediately for energy, or stored in fat cells.
Carbohydrates make up an excessive proportion of the diet. Add together a lack of exercise and excess sugar and the inevitable result is excess weight. By reducing your overall carbohydrate intake and reducing the size of your meals, you reduce your body's exposure to free radical activity, and, the amount of excess food that gets stored as unwanted fat. A double bonus!
Think about your meals over the last week. Better still, keep a food diary for the next week, record each meal by drawing a plate divided up showing how much protein, carbohydrate, fat, vegetables and fruit you eat at each meal/snack. After a week you'll be able to see for yourself how much sugar you are eating.
Try the Perfect Alternative:
Choose a nutrient-rich, easily digested and absorbed meal replacement.
This incredible superfood allows you to eat less without feeling a loss of energy. A meal replacement provides your body with a scientifically-balanced concentration of essential nutrients, without the mass of carbohydrates ingested in a normal meal. Free radical activity is proportionally reduced and the nutrients are quickly and easily assimilated by the body.
Top Tips for Anti-Aging
-Keep your body lean and fit by exercising moderately 3-4 times a week and make sure you enjoy it. Avoid over-exercising, which produces excess free radical activity detrimental to health.
-Reduce the sugar content in your diet. Carbohydrates convert to sugar so reduce your carbohydrate intake.
-Replace with fresh salads, vegetables and fruit.
-Include a high quality antioxidant supplement in your daily regimen to help neutralise free radical activity.
-Keep your body hydrated. Drink eight large glasses of water throughout the day (more in hot climates or when you are doing sports).
-Include a high quality vitamin and mineral supplement in your daily regimen to top-up your body's micronutrient needs.
-Keep learning -- a lively brain and a lively body have no time for aging!
-Reduce the size of your meals -- leave room for more health!
-Get connected with your community to avoid isolation. Everyone needs a purpose in life and sense of worth, but it's difficult to do that on your own! Being with younger people has an extra bonus -- they help to keep you feeling young!
-Make vegetables and fruit the main part of your diet as they protect against major degenerative diseases -- aim for at least seven servings a week (be aware that all fruit is loaded with sugar, too much fruit can affect your waistline!)
-Increase the variety in your diet, allergies are more likely to develop if you eat the same foods repetitively.
-If you aren't eating 3-4 servings of oily fish each week, include an Omega 3 essential fatty acids supplement to your dietary regimen.
-Reach and maintain your ideal weight. Carrying excess weight around stresses the whole body accelerating the aging process.
-Read more about Shapeworks Weight Management Programs.
-If you hate your job, quit it. Unrelenting stress accelerates aging.
-Reprogramme your mind to accept that there is no age limit. Aim for 125!
-If you drink alcohol regularly, reduce to a minimum. One glass of high quality red wine each day can be beneficial due to it's antioxidant properties but beyond that your body doesn't need alcohol (especially as it too turns to sugar!)
-Persistent stress creates havoc in the body, overworking the complex hormone communication network and nervous system. This results in a body that is out of balance and susceptible to disease. Our hormones control the aging process -- too much stress and the aging process accelerates out of control. Eliminating stress, both physical and mental, is therefore a major anti-aging weapon.
-If someone or something upsets you, let it go. Feeling angry and upset can never resolve a problem, it does however affect your well-being, as every cell in the body is suspended in the same unbalanced angry state. So forgive and forget more frequently, and enjoy a longer life too.
-If you smoke, give up smoking accelerates the aging process.
-Take Steps to Age Less Don't wait another day! Enjoy the anti-aging benefits of hard-working nutrition supplements.