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.

I must admit I am not a ‘regular tailgater’!  I have been to two this fall, one at my daughter’s college (small Division III school) and then one (on a much larger scale) at Penn State University this past weekend.  Before that, it had been quite a while.  That’s in contrast with probably millions of people across the country who do this ‘tailgate thing’ on a regular basis.  Both of my recent experiences were lots of fun and even though the football teams I favored did not win either game, great times were had by all who I observed.

I was amazed at the amount of people (all ages), cars, tents, rv’s and overall spirit at PSU.  About 110,000 people attended the game, many were there for hours before, and there were lots of people who came only to tailgate, with no intention of purchasing a ticket to watch the game.  If you think about all of the big schools and small schools across the country, the numbers of people who attend really add up.

Friendships, conversations, having a catch with a football, alumni reminiscing about their college days, games set up at individual tailgates like beer pong or cornhole, singing, and even dancing all make for good times and happy memories.  Social networks like these can reduce stress, and psychological well-being can promote good physical health – both providing positive reinforcement for an anti-aging lifestyle.

Here’s a short video of some sites we saw on Saturday at University Park, State College, PA as well as some personal fun at the end

Here is a feel good video that hopefully leaves you smiling

Why do we choose to live a healthy lifestyle and feel great – energized – every day? I think it is to pursue our passions and purpose in life.. the things we really care about.

Lots of people just try to ‘get through’ their workday and then live for what they really like to do. I hope that is not the case for you, because if you do love your job, all day – every day – at work and at home – you will be filled with passion, driven to take good care of yourself for right now, and be building great health for your future so that you have quality of life as you age.

This blog has an exciting new direction. In addition to posting info about health and wellness, we are going to post videos that we shoot ourselves.. of people living their lives.. at work.. at play.. pursuing their passions, or lifestyle choices that have made a difference in their lives. We hope you enjoy the stories and we welcome your comments and feedback.

We will also post videos that you may have missed online and that have a relevant message. They will be educational, enlightening or entertaining. If you know someone who can benefit from what you see here, please pass it on by email, Twitter it, or share on your favorite social website.

We shot two videos today.. timely events with local business owners and their fall (season) stories.  We will put them online after a video that I found yesterday and wanted to share.

We encourage you to take advantage of the ‘email a question’ section at the top left.. if you have a health challenge or natural nutrition question, send it to us!

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?”

The health benefits of resveratrol have only just begun to be discovered. It has been called the Fountain of Youth. It has been called the key to longevity. I have heard the terms healthy old age, beat the clock, rejuvenation drug, quest to put death on hold – all exciting in terms of living longer and being healthier. Resveratrol is found in high concentrations in the skin of grapes. It has been studied for years and a pharmaceutical drug is currently in development. Right now, we have natural supplements available with resveratrol.

So what health benefits can we expect from resveratrol? First, when we look at aging, we know that as the body ages we can develop diseases of aging like arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimers. There is a longevity gene in our body that can effectively fight aging, and specifically these diseases of aging. Scientists have known about it for years. The problem is that it is only turned on during extreme dieting, or calorie restriction. Most people can not maintain that kind of daily diet because it involves cutting calories 30 to 35% and is very hard to do without being hungry all of the time. When we eat a lot of food, and many of us eat more food than our body needs each day, this gene is turned off.

What resveratrol can do, in the right amounts, is to trick the body into thinking it is on a calorie restriction diet so that the longevity gene can be turned on. In this way, the body can maintain healthy blood levels and healthy cells that fight the diseases of aging. Another scientific discovery that can partner with resveratrol in the fight against aging are polyphenols, powerful phytochemicals found in fruits and vegetables.

There are four mechanisms of aging in our bodies. First, DNA damage occurs daily when the cells in your body are attacked and not able to function optimally. Next, we have genetic regulators that help build and repair cells. Third is the declining energy in our cells that occurs when free radicals damage cells. Last, there are AGE proteins that are formed when our cells are not functioning properly, and can cause cell death.

Current science has brought us natural supplements that include both resveratrol and polyphenols that can impact all four mechanisms of aging. It is up to the anti-aging consumer to do his or her homework and find a brand with the significant amount of resveratrol that is needed to turn on the longevity gene that prolongs life and vitality, and has the polyphenols to fight aging.

What are some healthy considerations you should know about resveratrol and polyphenols? Some resveratrol-only supplements have Emodin (a chemical laxative) that can be hard to tolerate in the digestive system. Others have very small amounts of resveratrol so that many doses would be needed daily to get the kind of effect that science has shown to work. The highest concentration of polyphenols can be found in the muscadine (super) grape which contains an extra chromosome (that no other grape has) and ellagic acid (also not found in ordinary grapes) that is associated with anti-aging.

There are challenges in the preparations of supplements like resveratrol and polyphenols. It is a fact that not all companies that produce one or the other have the science or the research to develop extraction methods that can preserve the full potency, complex formulations that get absorbed, and high quality ingredients that can provide results you can measure.

To learn more about what the health benefits of resveratrol are, visit the world’s only cellular anti-aging tonic of resveratrol and polyphenols.

The CBS 60 Minutes show aired a special about anti-aging resveratrol back in January, 2009. This evening they updated the story. The laboratory research that began with mice and monkeys have moved to humans. First, there was a pre-diabetic group participating in resveratrol studies, and results were very positive. Right now there is a group of people with cancer that are participating in clinical trials.

As the doctors who lead resveratrol research discussed, the goal is for humans to live longer, healthier lives. While we might not be able to turn the clock back 30 years, scientists have found a way to slow down aging. There is a gene in all human bodies that is not an active gene. By finding a way to turn on the gene, it enables the body to fight aging including diseases like diabetes, arthritis, cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimers.

The scientists discussed the studies with the monkeys in the lab. Even the ‘fat’ monkeys – those that were not on calorie restricted diets – who were given resveratrol were healthier and lived longer. Their organs that were inspected after their deaths appeared very healthy and youthful.

This is great news for humans because, until now, the only option we have for effective anti-aging is what’s called calorie restriction. Restricting our daily diets by 30 to 35% of calories consumes will keep the human body younger, leaner, and healthier. The problem is that most humans can not sustain this kind of diet. The food is not desirable and most people are hungry all of the time.

The show featured a group called ‘The Skinnys’ who are part of a study of people who commit to staying on a calorie restricted diet. The food that they showed was not exactly appealing. The people were very skinny and looked healthy but it is doubtful that the majority of people could live that kind of lifestyle.

The option to be able to take a pill and know that we can have better health while living the same kind of lifestyle we are accustomed is exciting to most of us. This resveratrol pill may help people who are already aging to fight disease and let them be more active and have more energy and better quality of life.

It was stated in the show that this fountain of youth pill may be still 5 years from market, if it passes as a pharmaceutical at all. What we have now is resveratrol in supplement form. You have to do your homework on the amount of resveratrol you find in a particular brand. This is going to vary in a big way. Many companies have jumped on resveratrol like it is a fad and put together products that are not high quality or highly concentrated.

There are safe and effective pharmaceutical grade resveratrol supplements that have 10X more resveratrol than other brands. You will need higher concentrations in order to see results. It is also important to choose a reputable brand with their own science behind the product to insure that a formula is available that will actually get absorbed in your body in an amount that can impact aging in a measurable way.

To learn more about Shaklee Independent Distributor anti-aging resveratrol plus polyphenols from a super (muscadine) grape that takes resveratrol to a new level with 10X more power than resveratrol only supplements, visit http://revolutionarynutrition4you.com.