AntiAgingByDesign.com

Every day my email box gets bombarded with healthy topics that made news this week (yes, I know I signed up for all of this information), and of course we have newspapers sitting around the house (my husband likes these more than I do.. maybe because they really do ’sit around’ too long).  You may have heard a headline in passing, or maybe you had a busy week and didn’t get much news.  Either way, maybe you will see something that interests you or you would like to further research.

Let’s start with some anti-aging newsmakers:

I must say that it is fascinating to me to learn of the links between diet and illness, about nutrients in the body and how lack of them can cause disease, and how natural nutrition can build good health.  I have always been one to seek out the natural alternatives to address non life-threatening health challenges.  I believe that nature can heal the body, or just get it to function like it is intended to work.

One example is inflammation.  There are many scientists who believe that inflammation in the body is the root of many diseases that we get.  There are different causes of inflammation and one can be related to diet.  What we eat, and nutrients we add to our diets, can also manage inflammation.  It is a two-way street and there are answers to help us get the outcomes we want.

Arthritis

Arthritis is one such ailment that is associated with inflammation.  It is a chronic disease that results in pain, stiffness, swelling, and did I mention pain?  There may not be a cure, but there is help.  Losing weight is suggested, dietary changes are recommended, and there are natural remedies as well as pharmaceutical drugs that are used to manage symptoms.  The USA Weekend (print version) for January 22-24, 2010 included an article, ‘Getting Older & Better.  It noted a study where after dental problems that arthritis sufferers had were treated, their arthritis symptoms improved (another link to treating root of inflammation?).

Vitamin C

Vitamin C gets a boost for its help with aging skin in the same USA Weekend edition.  It talks about how there have been claims for a long time about Vitamin C benefits for skin.  Now researchers say that Vitamin C can not only promote skin healing but also protect against free-radicals that age skin.  The opportunity to undo DNA damage should put Vitamin C on close watch for aging baby boomers.

It never ceases to amaze me when I read something like this.. that we are always ahead of the industry!  We have talked about the fact that Dr. Shaklee (and now the Shaklee scientists) were many years ahead of their time.  We have had a unique, aging skin repair system WITH VITAMIN C for years now.  And Shaklee science found a way to stabilize the Vitamin C present in the product so that high levels will be available to the skin in order to provide such fantastic results.  And of course, like all products from this brand, there is a 100% money back guarantee (that’s how sure we are that you will get results!).

Vitamin D

Are you deficient?  There is an astounding 8 million American women and 2 million men who have osteoporosis, and 34 million more at risk (USA Weekend).  Wow.  Having enough Vitamin D in your body can help prevent osteoporosis, and also heart disease.  Many folks are finding out through regular blood work that they have low levels of Vitamin D.  It might be worth getting it checked out if you have symptoms like .  A supplement is recommended in many cases because it is hard for people to get enough from their diet, especially if they are already deficient.

Disease

Some new links to disease:  Cancer association with cholesterol?  New research links having high HDL (good) cholesterol to a 14% lower risk of cancer in men over 50; and for guys over 55 there was a 59% lower risk of prostate cancer when total cholesterol was less than 200 mg/dL.

Diet

Salt intake needs to be minimal for a number of reasons and studies show that one in particular is linked to heart disease and stroke.  People are salting their foods more than is recommended and simply cutting back by 5 grams per day – that is a little less than one teaspoon – can reduce the risk of having a stroke by 23% and lower cardiovascular disease risk by 17%.

Resveratrol

Book review on Aging Getting Better with Wine (resveratrol).

And last.  There was doubt posted this week about the benefits of resveratrol.  It was in reference to the ongoing research on a pharmaceutical product.  You have companies in competition with each other and one is saying that the research of the other is not holding up.  When you look closer, they are not doing the same studies and you always have to wonder what the agenda is when one company attacks another.

I choose to stick with the science and research of the supplement brand resveratrol that I use every day because 1) I trust the science and integrity of this brand, 2) I am getting great health results, and 3) there is no pharmaceutical product out yet – and maybe there never will be.  It might be just enough resveratrol in natural supplement form to help us live longer and healthier.

There is news every day about how to fight aging, more specifically the diseases of aging.  Many times the focus is on living a healthier lifestyle, eating the right foods, getting both  exercise and enough sleep every night, and of course our mindset.

We read about our bodies being deficient in something, having too much of something else, being exposed to environmental factors that cause illness, at risk because of smoking, alcohol, diet, and even about how our medications can make us sicker.

Being sick is not fun.  It can age us even faster than the normal process of growing older.  And it can also be very scary.  Growing old is scary also.  There is illness and disease and aging everywhere we turn.

So what can we do?  How do we fight aging?  The good news is that we have so much news.  Science has brought us revolutionary discoveries in terms of how we age, why we age, and some very real ways we can fight the process.  And,here in 2010, that information is right at our fingertips.

All we have to do is to listen to the news, Google for specific information we seek, and then take some action.  There are reputable news and education web sites that have every kind of topic imaginable.  There is almost too much information, but that shouldn’t hold us back.

We can tap into what we need to know in several ways:  1)  we can research aging in general and discover what people are doing successfully right now to fight the aging process; and 2)  we can research specific challenges that we are personally facing, that has already started in our bodies, and learn how we can impact what is happening or even reverse it.

For example, some aging processes that many people experience are memory issues, joint problems, and heart disease.  There are lifestyle choices including diet that play a huge role in our health, and also natural supplements for aging that have been proven to help people in significant ways – both produce great results for those types of aging issues.

What we feed our bodies many times determines not only how we feel throughout the day, but our overall health.  If you think about it, our food is the fuel our bodies need to perform many different functions in all of our organs.  Junk in, junk out.. so the saying goes.  And it does make sense.

Resveratrol and fish oil are natural supplements that have exciting research behind the results people are getting for joint pain, memory issues, and heart health.  The science and research is ongoing but that is not stopping people from using these ingredients in natural supplement form.  They are not drugs and do not have the side effects associated with prescription drugs.

The key to using supplements is that they must be taken everyday in order to get the desired outcome.  While not as potent as medication, they function very well in the body, working along with normal body processes and regulating them so that they work the way they are intended to work.  I remember hearing that same fact over 28 years ago.. about how starting a nutrition program will help the body work in the healthy way it should.  It is amazing the results you can get when you follow a plan.

I encourage you to use the resources that we have today, and find the answers that you seek in terms of aging and fighting disease.  We are privileged to be able to access that kind of information anytime that we want, and then be armed with the tools we need to get what we want.

If there is anything that I can help you with in regard to your personal health challenges, don’t hesitate to write or call.

There has been an increase of searches for resveratrol scam since the highly advertised ingredient was found to be a potent anti-aging nutrition supplement. The reason for the questions is that so many companies have put a resveratrol product on the market after scientific research was announced through national media sources. I don’t know about you but I prefer a resveratrol product with a satisfaction guarantee over one with a scam potential attached to it.

The problem with almost two hundred resveratrol products for sale is that many of them are not potent enough to provide significant results, and that is creating concern about the efficacy of resveratrol in the fight against aging. This is not an issue with resveratrol, but with the difference in potency, quality, and formulation since they all combine to make a worthy product.

Resveratrol is currently in research for drug development, possible in pill form. While that is years out, we do have resveratrol available in supplement form. When I did my own personal research of other brands, I was shocked to find that many of them have very little resveratrol in the products. The clinical research that has suggested measurable anti-aging benefits with resveratrol is based upon a much higher dose than what many products on the market contain. The bottom line is that people are going to be disappointed when they don’t get the results they expect, and this puts a black cloud over the industry.

Natural nutrition supplements, including vitamins and herbs, are not regulated by any governing body. This means that you have to do your homework and find a brand that you trust will put the amount of ingredient that has been studied to help build health inside the product. It is also important to insure that the amounts that are listed on the label are actually inside the product so that they will perform as they are intended (remember that nobody is in place to oversee this on our behalf). Last, the ingredients need to be high quality and in a formula that your body will absorb.

When I evaluate a nutrition brand, several requirements are present: science, safety, quality, and efficacy. Does the company have a reputable, in-house science team that conducts research and clinical testing on their own products, and not simply make a product that is either new or popular? Are high quality ingredients demanded by the brand and do they require ongoing testing of those ingredients for quality assurance? Do the products have a track record of performance and integrity?

Resveratrol scam is a legitimate search because when it comes to nutrition that we are putting in to the body, we must demand quality and that includes potency and performance. Value is another consideration. If one is to compare a product with a price tag of $2.83 per serving of the recommended amount of resveratrol that can fight aging, with another product that may cost $.99 per serving but you need 10 servings to get that same potent amount, well there really is not a comparison.

Science and research has brought us revolutionary new ways to fight aging, and to get the desired results we need specific amounts. I encourage everyone who would like to use resveratrol to help live a longer, healthier life to take the time and do their own research for a brand that will deliver the intended benefits, not a resveratrol scam.

We go about our lives each day and they are full and busy lives. How much are you thinking about your body that is aging, or anti-aging choices? What are we missing in regard to our good health when we don’t focus on a healthy body every day?

This video brings home the point about focus and what we can miss. Have a look:

Today, we have a lot more information available to us about building good health and how to fight disease than we have ever had throughout history. So why is it that disease rates are up, overweight and obesity has become an epidemic, and people drag through life feeling tired, sick, fat, stressed, and even depressed?

Diet has a lot to do with how we feel. What we put in our body is going to determine the results we get. The nutrients we get in our food, and by taking supplements, can build a healthy body that is full of the energy and vitality needed to exercise regularly, sleep well, eat healthy, feel great, fight disease, and love life. We have the answers. The key is the focus and the awareness choices we make each day.

Do you want to build good health? Do you have an anti-aging plan? Be aware, and most likely you will be happy with the results that you get.

What are the causes of aging? Why do we have a certain life span? Life forms have different life expectancies, from days to many years. Fortunately, humans can live very long lives. And science continues to find ways for us to live longer.

One person can age very differently from another. Did you ever hear someone say, ‘he’s a very young 75′ or, ’she’s 40 going on 80!’ It is really our cells that age, or make our organs sick. There are many factors that cause our cells to age, and many that we can prevent. We know a lot more about diet, exercise, and lifestyles than those that came even a generation before us. The choices we make, however, are not always reflective of what we know.

I was thinking the other day about the overweight and obesity rates that are so high in the United States right now. What if soda and other hidden-calorie drinks that are loaded with sugar were never invented. What if processed foods were not available for us to eat. What if fast food was non-existent? If we had to take the time to process (clean, peel, etc.) and/or cook vegetables
for every meal, and we choose to make them the significant part of our daily diet, think about what that would do for our health and for our weight.

Environmental factors can play a part in aging as well. Pollution, chemicals, and toxins are everywhere in our daily lives. Inside our homes, outside our homes, they are hard to avoid. We do have more options today with the many green choices of products we can buy, and there have been major green actions to help clean our planet including the air we breathe.

Our cells and organs are affected by aging in different ways. We have choices here as well, to help keep these organs working as they are meant to work and staying disease free to help us live longer, healthier lives.

The heart wall thickens and, over time, is not able to pump blood as efficiently as it should. As we grow older, the amount of oxygen we have for use during exercise decreases.

Arteries can become thick and stiff when cholesterol and calcium build up in them. When the arteries narrow and lose their elasticity, we get high blood pressure.

I thought it was frightening that our breathing capacity declines around 40 percent as we move from age 20 to age 70.

When the number of brain cells decrease, we see memory impairment and even Alzheimers. This is one of the scariest symptoms of aging for many people.

The important bladder can lose its tone and tissues weaken causing loss of control.

Body fat increases as we age and can cause many diseases like diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease.

Losing bone density leads to osteoporosis and fractures.

Our eyes and ears are not to be ignored. Eyes and ears begin to fade as we age and issues with both can impact our lifestyles.

Even though we know that diet and exercise and lifestyle can make a great difference in the health of our organs, we still don’t always make the healthy choices.

Free radicals are causes of aging that we hear about most. To a certain extent, free radicals have a useful purpose. When they help destroy bacteria or other invaders to the body, they are good. It is when they are in excess that we have problems. And with factors like sun exposure, radiation, tobacco smoke and other pollutants, we do get an excess of free radicals.

Inflammation can be the root cause of many diseases of aging. There are many theories about why people seem to have more inflammation in their bodies, and many are centered around our diets. Deficiencies in hormones can lead to premature aging and various diseases. Our immune system declines as we age, and can be accelerated by things like stress and depression. We are not able to fight off illness and disease as well with a compromised immune system. There are many processes that go on inside our cells daily that can effect how and when we age.

What scientists have been studying for many years is how to impact these causes of aging in our cells. How do we help the body processes to perform as they should, at the cellular level? How do we prevent inflammation in the body, and keep optimal hormone levels present in the body? How do we neutralize the excess of free radicals?

When we activate specific processes in our cells, we can make an important difference in the health of them. Antioxidants can help the performance of our cells. Newly discovered resveratrol can activate a gene in the body that fights the diseases of aging. Diets that are high in fiber and balanced in protein and good carbohydrates, with enough fruits and vegetables help us maintain healthy weights and gives our bodies the nutrients they need for optimal health. Supplementing the diet with food supplements, like vitamins, minerals, fish oil, and targeted herbals, can fill the gaps that we don’t get from foods on a daily basis. Exercise is very important for overall health including heart health and joint health.

We already have many answers in regard to what causes aging. We must answer the question personally, “Are we following what scientists have discovered and what we now know about fighting aging and being healthy throughout our lives?”

When our digestive tracts are functioning properly, we feel a whole lot better than when we suffer from an upset stomach, reflux, heartburn, ulcers, constipation, Crohn’s Disease, or a host of other digestive illnesses. The body’s digestion system is so important for good health because it connects the nutrients in our body to our blood and to our cells that build better health.

Symptoms like gas, bloating, intestinal pain, and constipation, are not things we like to talk about. Many times we don’t even like to talk to our doctors about these uncomfortable subjects. The unfortunate thing is that these health challenges do not often get fixed without some attention to them. Plus, without either natural nutrition solutions, or medication if the problem is more serious, digestive issues leave your body less able to absorb the nutrients it needs.

How is digestion supposed to work? Let’s look at the processes our body utilizes to digest food. First, we have the mouth that is responsible for chewing our food. Our bodies use saliva to help break down complex carbohydrates and chewing prompts our digestive enzymes to do their job.

Next is the stomach, which is filled with acid to help digestion. When people experience problems like heartburn or reflux, there is a back up of the stomach contents into the esophagus. While this is unpleasant to live with, medications that neutralize stomach acid also make it hard for the stomach to digest food properly without that acid.

Our small intestines are the next part of the digestion process. It’s role is to finish breaking the food into the pieces that our body can absorb. When there is a problem in the intestines it is usually due to inflammation, and inflammation keeps our body from absorbing the nutrients it needs.

What causes the problems in each area of digestion? In the mouth, the first key to note about aging is that by age 30 we are already producing less of these digestive enzymes and some people are more affected by this shortage than others. People who are lactose intolerant or people who have trouble digesting foods like broccoli or beans without gas or bloating symptoms may need to supplement with some natural digestive enzymes.

Certain drinks like coffee and soda can interfere with digestion and cause symptoms like heartburn. Stress also affects the stomach and its ability to function properly. There are safe, natural stress relief solutions that can calm the stomach and the nerves.

Scientists believe that many people have an imbalance between Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids in their daily diets. When this occurs there can be inflammation in the body. By increasing Omega-3’s and limiting Omega-6 cooking oils in the diet, the unhealthy ratio can be turned around.

We become what we eat. It makes sense that what we feed our body is going to produce good health or present us with challenges and illness. Eating fruits and vegetables, and avoiding processed foods as much as we can, builds better health. A healthy digestion system is needed to break down all foods, and yet if we haven’t been eating an optimal diet we may need to look at healing our digestive tract first.

Digestion is key to the staples of life for our bodies: proteins, carbohydrates, and fat. There are 20 amino acids in protein. Our bodies can make 12 of them and the other 8 we must get from our food. A healthy stomach will be able to process the proteins so they can be absorbed into the blood stream. Carbohydrates need a functioning stomach to break them down so that they can be absorbed and provide our cells with energy to power the body. Dietary fat is important to the body because our hormones, nerves, the brain, and the outer wall of our cells are mostly fat. It is processed in the small intestine and also absorbed in the body there.

It is easy to see that healthy digestion at each step is important for the body to absorb nutrients in order to be healthy, and also in order to feel good and not have the unwelcome symptoms and digestive problems that can occur. For many folks, this can be a vicious cycle instead of a normal process.

If digestive issues like upset stomach, reflux, heartburn, ulcers, constipation, Crohn’s Disease or other digestion related problems are a source of discomfort in your life, there are natural solutions for feeling better. Natural digestive enzymes can help the body process foods when it can’t do an optimal job on its own. Natural pre-biotics and pro-biotics can balance and heal the digestive tract.

There are natural, soothing herbs for upset stomach relief, and natural stress relief nutrients to calm the stomach. Natural, chewable calcium magnesium supplements can help with acid-stomach upset. Finally, omega-3 fatty acid supplements can improve the body’s balance of essential fatty acids and help eliminate inflammation. Natural supplements can be used in combination with each other if more than one is needed to address digestion issues. People who do not have life threatening illnesses that require medication, can find relief without side effects by using natural health solutions.

Natural Nutrition that targets building good health has been proven to work.  Avoiding diseases associated with aging not only helps you live longer but helps you feel better and younger right now.

We have choices.  We can live a lifestyle and eat a diet that raises our risk of having (preventable) illness and disease.  Or, we can also benefit from (proven) healthier lifestyles so that we prevent illness and disease, and even live a longer, healthier life.

Here is an interesting discussion of health, disease, and aging.  It includes solutions and is intended to aid in your personal research of a healthy lifestyle.

Look for Cellular Aging Episode

I heard something interesting on a television commercial yesterday.  It pointed out that our bodies are not synthetic, so why would we want to put synthetic vitamins and supplements in our bodies?  I think this goes back to something I believe which is that the body can heal itself with the right ‘food’.  The problem seems to be that we don’t give our bodies enough of the right ‘food’ and then many of us end up taking medicines to treat symptoms.  If we do the right things in the first place, feed the body ‘natural food’ that it can use to build good health, we can target prevention of disease and illness.

The reason I chose this natural nutrition brand is because it has a legacy of offering products that are real food, made as close to the way the ingredients would be found in nature as possible.   This is nutrition the body can use to help keep us in good health, and living longer (quality) years.

p.s.  What is a great benefit of trying natural nutrition and anti-aging with this brand?  There is a 100% money back guarantee.  That has stood for more than 52 years and is rarely used because the products deliver the desired results.

A revolutionary new product has been introduced and this brand is once again at the forefront of scientific research. Shaklee Independent Distributors represent scientists who have designed a way to create a unique blend of ingredients to fight cellular aging.

For a brief, exciting introduction.. watch this video about how to Feel 25 years younger and Live 25 years longer.

What sets this brand’s products apart is the unique blends of ingredients and the science behind those formulations. With this new tonic, scientists took the formidable research on resveratrol to a whole new level.

By combining key ingredients with resveratrol, this tonic can impact all four of the mechanisms of aging that occur at the cellular level. No other company or brand has a product like this.

Let’s look at how the tonic affects these mechanisms of cellular aging:

Protects and repairs cellular DNA

Positively impacts genetic regulators which help fight cellular aging

Promotes mitochondrial biogenesis, which helps increase the power production within the cells

Reduces the formation of AGE proteins that can gradually clog up your cells

While specific scientific detail may be hard for many of us to understand, that is why we have always enjoyed the benefit of having a team of highly qualified scientists behind this brand. This has resulted in more than 50 years of uniquely effective products based on solid science and research. We continue to use these products because they work!

To learn more and get the breakdown of the science behind this anti-aging tonic, visit www.yourhealthwebsite.net. There is an MD Resource box there for medical professionals as well.

The release of this new tonic is truly a revolutionary breakthrough because it harnesses the power of a unique polyphenol blend to impact the aging process. The special blend of ingredients promote cellular longevity, increase cellular energy, fight free radicals, and promote good health and well being. In addition, the ingredients support heart health, brain health, cardiovascular function, joint health and enhance immunity. That’s a powerful punch!

Feel free to request additional printed material, audios, videos and opportunity to discuss the new anti-aging tonic.

I invite you to help spread the word to anyone you know who can benefit.. it really does feel great to help others feel their best. Who knew we could have the opportunity to help someone live 25 years longer and feel 25 years younger?