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Baby Boomer Anti-Aging Articles

Why do we Age - Part I
Anti-Aign: Can Food Help?
Take a Hike Back to Basics
How to Dress 10 Pounds Thinner

Why do we Age, Part I

This article is in three parts. This is Part I

For many years, scientists have researched by various methods the reasons why we age. Aging is caused by a lot of reasons: genetics, the environment, nutrition, stress and other lifestyle factors. We often hear how "having good genes" is the most important thing in aging. Aging can be accelerated or slowed depending on these. For example, studies on identical twins have shown how genetic inheritance influences only about 30 percent of the rate and ways in which you age. The rest is under your control.

Different parts of the body age at different rates and for different reasons. Aging is highly variable between people. Have you never been to a family or high school reunion and noticed how some of your relatives or friends seemed old before their time, while others stayed "Dick Clark young", while remaining vital and excited about life? Think of someone who was young when you first met and you hadn't seen in a while, then when you met up with them they looked old. It happens fast, doesn't it?

As you age, there are thousands of changes occurring on a gross body level, in all of your tissues and organs, as well as in your individual cells. It would be great if we could find just one of the cause for aging and fix it, but there are many.

The body is constantly renewing itself. With a turnover of about six billion cells each day, each year around the 90 percent of the atoms in your body are replaced. We grow a new skin each month, a new stomach lining every five days, a new skeleton every three months, and replenish out red blood cells about every 120 days.

As your body ages, your organs gradually lose their total number of cells and some of the function of the remaining number of cells. We lose about one percent of the total number of cells each year. Without the program described in the e-book we have lost about 14% of the cells in our bodies by age 45, by age 65 its 28%, and downhill after that.

Most people lose about .01-.02 inches of their height each year, and are shorter in old age than when they were young due to bone loss and compression of their vertebrae.

You'll lose brain form and function as you age, and about 73,000,000 brain cells next year. Even your earlobes will be affected, with the force of gravity slowly stretching them downward almost 1/100 of an inch this coming year.

Cells in all the tissues and organs of the body also change over time, which affects their function. Cells slowly lose the ability to divide and reproduce as easily. You lose supporting cells that hold you together and nourish other cells. Fat and debris get deposited into cells, tissues, a and organs which contributes to a loss of function.

Tissues such as bone, muscle and skin become much less elastic. Initially, organs such as the kidneys, liver, heart, and brain have more cells than necessary to function well. But when enough cells are lost, function declines and becomes noticeable. And as time marches on, the body is less able to clear medicines and toxins, largely due to decline in liver and kidney function. So drugs stay in the body longer and cause more side effects. And we are less able to store and utilize food.

Without intervention we become weaker over time. Body weight increases. But unfortunately, muscle and organs are decreasing at the rate of about six pounds each decade, while the fat is increasing. Cartilage is added to the nose and ears, body fluid decreases, and we develop dryness and wrinkles. Thirst decreases, and sweat glands decrease or lose their function, so we are less able to control our temperature. All of the senses diminish and it's harder to get a good nights sleep.

And of course, deterioration in the brain has enormous consequences. Like the other organs, the brain shrinks with age. And unfortunately, the parts that are taking the worst of it are the ones we rely upon most for our abilities to reason, remember, and control our bodies. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that are released from a nerve cell which thereby transmits an impulse to another nerve, a muscle, organ, or other tissue. Major neurotransmitters are acetylcholene, dopamine and serotonin. Neurotransmitter production declines with age. The potential for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, dementia and other brain and mind diseases increases dramatically.

On this site, you will find information on some of the greatest reasons you age.Below is a review of the various theories of 'senescence", why we age.

The "Wear and Tear" Theory

Dr. August Weismann, a German biologist, first introduced this theory in 1882. He believed that the body and its cells were damaged by overuse and abuse. The organs, liver, stomach, kidneys, skin and so on are worn down by toxins in our diet and in the environment; by the excessive consumption of fat, sugar, caffeine, alcohol and nicotine; by the ultra-violet rays of the sun and by the many other physical and emotional stresses to which we subject our bodies. Wear and tear is not confined to our organs, however; it also takes place on the cellular level.

Of course even if you've never touched a cigarette or had a glass of wine, stayed out of the sun and eaten only natural foods, simply using the organs that nature endowed you is still going to wear them out. No matter what we do, it seems there is a built in obsolescence in our body that causes it to age even with the best care. Abuse will only wear the organs out more quickly. Likewise as the body ages our very cells feel the effect, no matter how healthy our life style.

When we are young the body's own maintenance and repair systems keep compensating for the effects of both normal and excessive wear and tear. (That's why young people can more easily get away with a night of heavy drinking or a binge of pizza or sweets.) With age the body loses its ability to repair damage caused by diet, environmental toxins, bacteria or a virus. Thus many elderly people die of diseases that they could have resisted when they were younger.

By the same token nutritional supplements and other treatments can help reverse the aging process by stimulating the body's own ability to repair and maintain its organs and cells.

The Neuroendocrine Theory

This theory was developed by Vladimir Dilman, Ph.D. He elaborates on the wear and tear theory by focusing on the neuroendocrine system, the complicated network of biochemicals that governs the release of our hormones and other vital bodily elements. When we are young, our hormones work together to regulate many bodily functions, including our responses to heat and cold, our life experiences and our sexual activity. Different organs release various hormones all under the governance of the hypothalamus, a walnut-sized gland located within the brain.

The hypothalamus sets off various chain reactions whereby an organ releases a hormone which in turn stimulates the release of another hormone, which in turn stimulates yet another bodily response. The hypothalamus responds to the body's hormone levels as its guide to regulating hormonal activity.

When we're young hormone levels tend to be high, accounting for among other things, menstruation in women and high libido in both sexes. As we age the body produces lower levels of hormones which can have disastrous effects on our functioning. The growth hormones that help us form muscle mass, hGH, testosterone and thyroid, for example, drop dramatically as we age so that even if an elderly person has not gained weight, he or she has undoubtedly increased the ratio of fat-to-muscle.

Hormones are vital for repairing and regulating our bodily functions, and when aging causes a drop in hormone production, it causes a decline in our body's ability to repair and regulate itself as well. Moreover hormone production is highly interactive. The drop in production of any one hormone is likely to have a feedback effect on the whole mechanism, signalling other organs to release lower levels of other hormones which will cause other body parts to release lower levels of yet other hormones.

Thus hormone replacement therapy, a frequent component of any anti-aging treatment, helps to reset the body's hormonal clock and so can reverse or delay the effects of aging. If our hormones are being produced at youthful levels in a very real sense the cells of our bodies are stimulated to be metabolically active and thus we stay young.

The Genetic Control Theory

This planned-obsolescence theory focuses on the genetic programming encoded within our DNA. We are born with a unique genetic code, a predetermined tendency to certain types of physical and mental functioning, and that genetic inheritance has a great deal to say about how quickly we age and how long we live. To use a macabre analogy it's as though each of us comes into the world as a machine that is pre-programmed to self-destruct. Each of us has a biological clock ticking away set to go off at a particular time, give or take a few years. When that clock goes off it signals our bodies first to age and then to die. However, as with all aspects of our genetic inheritance the timing on this genetic clock is subject to enormous variation, depending on what happens to us as we grow up, on how we actually live (the old "nature versus nurture" debate), and as you will read in other articles on this site, the way we think also has a great impact.

Anti-aging medicine addresses this issue by augmenting the basic building blocks of DNA within each of our cells, preventing damage to and increasing repair of DNA. In this way we believe anti-aging treatment can help us escape our genetic destinies, at least to some extent.

The Free Radical Theory

This exciting development in anti-aging research was first introduced by R. Gerschman in 1954, but was developed by Dr. Denham Harman of the University of Nebraska, College of Medicine. "Free radical" is a term used to describe 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. In a conventional molecule the electrical charge is balanced. Electrons come in pairs so that their electrical energies cancel each other out. Atoms that are missing electrons combine with atoms that have extra electrons, creating a stable molecule with evenly paired electrons and a neutral electrical charge.

The free radical on the other hand has an extra negative charge. This unbalanced electrical energy tends to make the free radical attach itself to other molecules as it tries to steal a matching electron to attain electrical equilibrium. Some scientist speak of these free radicals as "promiscuous," breaking up the happy marriages of paired electrons in neighboring molecules in order to steal an electron "partner" for themselves. In doing so they create free radicals and extensive bodily damage.

Free-radical activity within the body is not primarily negative. Without free-radical activity, that is without biochemical electricity, we would not be able to produce energy, maintain immunity, transmit nerve impulses, synthesize hormones or even contract our muscles. The body's electricity enables us to perform these functions and that electricity comes from the unbalanced electron activity of free radicals.

But free radicals also attack the structure of our cell membranes, creating metabolic waste products, including substances known as lipofuscins. An excess of lipofuscins in the body is shown as a darkening of the skin in certain areas, so-called "aging spots." Lipofuscins in turn interfere with the cells ability to repair and reproduce themselves. They disturb DNA and RNA synthesis, interfere with synthesis of protein, lower our energy levels, prevent the body from building muscle mass and destroy cellular enzymes, which are needed for vital chemical processes.

This type of free-radical damage begins at birth and continues until we die. In our youth its effects are relatively minor since the body has extensive repair and replacement mechanisms that in healthy young people function to keep cells and organs in working order. With age however the accumulated effects of free-radical damage begin to take their toll. Free-radical disruption of cell metabolism is part of what ages our cells; it may also create mutant cells leading ultimately to cancer and death.

Free radicals attack collagen and elastin, the substances that keep our skin moist, smooth, flexible and elastic. These vital tissues fray and break under the assaults of free radicals, a process particularly noticeable in the face, where folds of skin and deep-cut wrinkles are testaments to the long-term effect of free-radical damage.

Another way of looking at free-radical changes is to think of it as oxidation, the process of adding oxygen to a substance. Another word for oxidation is rust and in a sense our aging process is analogous to the rusting away of a once-intact piece of metal. Because forms of oxygen itself are free radicals, our very breathing and our otherwise healthy aerobic exercise generate free radicals that help along the aging process.

Substances that prevent the harmful effects of oxidation are known as antioxidants. Natural antioxidants include vitamin C, vitamin E and beta carotene, the substance that our body uses to produce vitamin A. Specialists in anti-aging medicine prescribe a host of natural and manufactured antioxidants to help combat the effects of aging.

Another substance that combats free-radical damage is known as a free-radical scavenger. Free-radical scavengers actually seek out free radicals and harmlessly bind them before they can attach themselves to other molecules and/or cause cross-linking. Many vitamins and minerals and other substances fight aging by acting as free-radical scavengers.

~ Dr. Laurence Magne
Author, Cancer Free For Life

Take charge of your life and never be sick again! Learn how to prevent cancer and stay cancer-free for life.

Anti-Aging: Can Food Help?

The human body has more than 10 million, million (that's 13 zeroes) cells, all of which are differentiated into nerve, muscle, adipose, etc., and are thus mortal. Given that we all die at some point, the objective now is to maximize the QUALITY of our lives and avoid controllable causes for premature death.

We know how to guard against premature death:

• wear seat belts;
• eat a low fat, high fiber, high complex- carbohydrate diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables;
• get regular, moderate, exercise;
• get enough sleep;
• love yourself and your friends;
• do work that makes you happy; don't do drugs.

It is worth repeating the low fat part: low fat. To quote from an editorial published in 1991 in the New England Journal of Medicine, "the optimal intake of cholesterol is probably zero, meaning the avoidance of animal products... Most recommendations suggest that total saturated fats be reduced to about 10% of energy intake, but the optimal level may well be much lower..." Wow! Radical! The American Heart Association still recommends "cutting back" to 30% which is three times the amount eaten by societies with the lowest incidence of cardiovascular disease.

The causes for premature aging are somewhat more obscure, but the very bottom line for optimizing longevity seems to be EAT LESS, and stay active. Diets in communities whose populations seem to enjoy exceptionally long lives are low to moderate in calories, and the primary source of calories for all groups is complex carbohydrates, suggesting a generous intake of fiber.

Classic studies were done by McCay in the 1930's with animal models that definitively proved calorie restriction increases life span. The mechanism may be due to the retardation of the development of degenerative diseases. Animals consuming high protein early in life and low protein with moderate calories thereafter had the longest life spans. Food restriction also delays the appearance of lesions in infectious diseases. Once we reach adult age, it is appropriate to consider reducing total caloric intake as a way to spare our bodies the wear and tear of metabolism: digesting, assimilating and storing the amino acid, sugar and fat fractions of the food we eat. Juicing is an excellent way to consume high quality, partially pre-metabolized nutrients.

Because of mechanized farming and pesticide use, the quality of soil mineral is constantly lowered and it may well be a good idea to take a basic vitamin/mineral supplement. It is especially important for vegetarians to supplement B12. Everyone will benefit from taking antioxidants (which protect against excessive free radical damage) such as the fat-soluble vitamins A, E, and C; and the micronutrients zinc and selenium -- both co- factors in enzymes which break down by-products of peroxidation (cellular oxygen damage). All of the above (except B12) may be automatically accomplished by a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables. Organic produce is preferable, especially for root crops such as carrots, onions and potatoes, which sit in the soil to grow. This is the closest to the body’s make up and easily assimilated. Avoid all forms of animal fat (there's just nothing good about it) except fresh fish oil, which has been shown to significantly reduce inflammation and the damage incurred by tissue irritation. And stay away from any form of processed food and sugar.

Since we're going to be eating less, it makes sense to ingest calories of the highest possible quality; that we minimize "empty" calories found in fast foods, processed foods and "junk" foods. It is easy to "fast" for 12 hours each day by not eating late at night. And don't be afraid to "breakfast" with a salad or freshly pressed juice!

~ Dr. Laurence Magne

Take charge of your life and never be sick again! Learn how to prevent cancer and stay cancer-free for life.

Take a Hike Back to Basics

The image many boomers have of themselves energetically striding towards an active retirement and old age of vim and vigour is belied by a report on boomers’ health from the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation. The report was published in February 2006 to mark the coming of age of the first of the baby boomers who will hit 60 this year, and is a follow-up to a similar one done 10 years ago. The most significant finding of this latest investigation is a 60% increase over the last 10 years in obesity levels amongst boomers aged 45-59, with the blame firmly placed on boomers’ increasingly sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy eating habits.

Far from being the hale and hearty outdoors people of popular imagination, it appears that over half of Canadian boomers are inactive sloths and couch potatoes, and over a third are obese. Furthermore, 57% of them do not even believe that being overweight contributes to cardiovascular disease, the country’s leading cause of death according to Statistics Canada. The situation is emblematic of the baby boom generation throughout the developed world.

The problem facing fat and sluggish boomers is not early death – far from it, for improved medical treatments mean that actual mortality rates are dropping. The problem is that it is increasingly likely that many boomers do face an extended life of potentially debilitating illnesses that will, at the very least, circumscribe their enjoyment of what’s left. Aside from the obvious strokes and heart attacks, other nasties that might rear their ugly heads as lethargic boomers stare at 60 and beyond include arthritis, the cancers (breast, colon, prostrate, et al.), diabetes, and osteoporosis - to say nothing of psychological depression and sexual dysfunction.

Most people realize that it is better to take effective action now to help keep such threats at bay, rather than waiting until they hit and then be forced to deal with them. The problem a lot of people face, though, is just how to go about that. There are many dietary regimens, potions, supplements, specialized exercise routines and other stratagems out in the marketplace that claim to be the way to improve and maintain health – far too many to make sense of. Some may work and some may not, and in the end each person has to decide what works best for themselves. What does work for almost everyone, though, and has been demonstrated time and again, is some common sense advice that most of us will have been taught as kids long ago.

In 2005 the Wall Street Journal extensively researched the medical literature and drew up a 10 point list of simple recommendations that would enable boomers to achieve maximum long-term health. (1) The discernable truths that lie behind the list include such homilies from mother as “An apple a day…” and “All work and no play…” and such strictures as “Eat up your greens”, “Brush your teeth” (pearly whites do promote better health – honest), and “For God’s sake, go outside and play.” In fact, the rules for healthy living can be condensed down to a few basic tenets (2) that the vast majority of people should be able to adhere to, and from which any number of finer stratagems can be added, drawn or elaborated:

• Eat sensibly Eat fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables, fibre and complex carbohydrates (cereal grains, pasta, potato, and pulses), oily fish and lean meats (and/or soy proteins). Limit fats, salt and sugars. Treat processed and junk foods with caution.

• Keep moving This can be as simple as making sure you walk and use the stairs whenever possible, or as enjoyable as regularly engaging in such social activities as dancing or bowling. Of even greater benefit is to add in a thrice-weekly exercise routine that includes resistance training, to strengthen muscles and bone.

• Stay alert This edict encompasses any activity that engages your mind, be it reading, playing games or participating in a challenging sport. The key, though, is to enhance whatever you do by attempting something new or different – a natural way to expand your mind. Remember, “Variety is the spice of life”.

• Chill out This is not the antithesis of the above, but the corollary. It is important to rest and relax, and if meditation or deep-breathing don’t appeal, just remember that the best advice is to get plenty of good, old-fashioned sleep, and that a glass or two of wine helps too.

Another admonishment from our parents that is worthwhile noting - “Do your homework.” In other words, ensure that you get a yearly medical check-up, and if you have been inactive for a long period do get your doctor’s okay before embarking on any strenuous physical activity. Finally, a good motto for all boomers to bear in mind as they set out to improve their health prospects - “If at first you don’t succeed…”

So, how about asking for a sturdy pair of hiking boots as a 60th birthday present?

1. For the complete list go to http://www.nbc4.com/health/4430100/detail.html

2. For an expanded consideration of these go to http://www.webmd.com/content/article/110/109812.htm

How to Dress 10 Pounds Thinner

I can help you look leaner, sleeker, and trimmer by incorporating some fixes in your wardrobe to create an illusion while you are dieting off the extra pounds from too many Cosmopolitans and Crème Brulès.

The Rule of One

The most important tool you can use is one color dressing. Wear one color, preferably something dark like navy, black or charcoal from head to toe for a longer, thinner look. Wearing one color creates an unbroken line and viola, a thinner, sleeker you. Two colors, by the way, will cut you in half and give you a much wider profile. When I said wear one color I meant just that. If you’re wearing a black blazer and black pants, wear a black blouse, shoes and belt. For some punch you could add a colorful scarf or a fabulous pin.

The late Carrie Donovan (no relation), who was the voice of fashion for the NY Times, always wore black. It was her signature.

The Body of Evidence

If you want to appear slimmer avoid pleats, flashy fabrics, busy patterns and textures and avoid, like the plague, anything big or tent like. A tent only belongs in the circus and on a heavy woman, it only accentuates the body and makes her look even heavier. Flowing skirts are another “no-no.” They’re great for period movies, but most women cannot carry that much fabric. Now I’m not suggesting that you wear anything tight and skimpy that will only blueprint all the flesh that you are trying to disguise because, fit is everything. I cannot say enough about fit when it comes to clothes. Whatever your body style, the fit of your clothes is paramount. Fit is more important than cost. Things that pull, sag, droop, and constrict, add pounds to everyone. When you get dressed, "try on" your clothes. Can you walk, turn, sit, stand, and bend comfortably? Hug yourself, to make sure your jacket doesn’t pull or tug when you have it on. And how are the sleeves? Are they too long or too short? Pants should not be tight in the crotch nor snug around waist. If you spend nothing else on clothes this year (impossible I know, but let’s pretend) spend the money on alterations. Those special pieces that you have that are classic and that are the backbone of your wardrobe should have an impeccable fit and if they don’t fit perfectly have them altered or replaced.

Some Additional Tips

Play up your best feature. If you have heavy hips and waist, keep the focus on top. Wear great makeup so people will look at your face. If you are top heavy but have great legs, play that up. Wear a skirt with high heels or shoes with the new pointed toes. Wear dark colors in skirt, hose and shoe for an unbroken, long, slinky line. Alter your skirt to where it just brushes the knee, never shorter or longer. If you insist on boots, make sure that they are long enough to just hit your leg below the knee. No mid-calf or ankle boots for this look. Here is a trick I learned many years ago from an actress friend of mine in London. When you are fully dressed, stand in front of a full-length mirror, now close your eyes for a minute and then open them. What is the first thing you see, your face or your outfit? You always want to see the face first. This is important when you’re making an entrance. Are you wearing the clothes or are the clothes wearing you?

The Awful Truth

The average American woman is 5 foot 4 inches, 140 pounds and wears a size 12. The average model is 5 foot 9 inches, 110 pounds and wears a size 2. Think about that the next time you read a fashion magazine and wonder who designers are designing for anyway. Fashion magazines should be read for suggestions. Not as the bible.

Georgia Donovan, The Clothes Doctor, is a fashion stylist and wardrobe coach, whose mission is to help women reach their fashion potential and raise their fashion consciousness. More information about her services can be found at www.theclothesdoctor.com or by calling (215) 794-3826.

Contact us at boomers@babyboomersunited.com

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