LOOK 20 YEARS YOUNGER

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As one ages, the body loses muscle mass and becomes frail.  This natural phenomenon is called sarcopenia.  It can be dramatically slowed or even reversed with the four basics of good health: 1) adequate amounts of high-quality protein, mostly with food (eggs, meat, poultry, fish, dairy, beans, nuts, whey powders), 2) movement (walking, exercise, cleaning, gardening, etc.), 3) adequate amounts of quality sleep, and 4) nutritional supplements (daily vitamin, resveratrol, calcium, magnesium, fish oil, 5,000 IU vitamin D, sublingual vitamin B-12, CoQ10, blueberry extract).

As you age, your skin dries, wrinkles, and thins and this makes you look old.  Two practices I learned of and used for an entire year to fully work was taking 1000 mg fish oil capsules/day and bathing only with Dove soap, plus avoiding bad habits like smoking and sunbathing, both of which wrinkle your skin. You can’t change your genetics but you can change enough of the four basics to good health to significantly delay, reverse, and possibly avoid Alzheimer’s and other degenerative diseases of aging.  The following explains the four basics:

  1. FOOD: Chicken and fish are the only meats that don’t significantly raise your risk of death each year.  Processed meats cured with nitrites (lunch meats, hot dogs, bacon, etc.) also significantly raise the risk of death.  Eat nine vegetables and fruits daily, but no potatoes, no sugared fruits, and only stone ground whole wheat bread. Use no or very little sugar or artificial-sugar-sweetened beverages.  Instead, use the natural sweetener, stevia, in your coffee or tea.  Only use extra virgin olive oil from California since 80% of imported olive oils sold in the U.S. are adulterated with cheaper oils.  Avoid partially-hydrogenated margerine as well as high-fructose corn syrup (found in non-dairy coffee creamer).
  2. EXERCISE: Aside from food, exercise is the next most important factor determining good health, both cardio and weights. If you can’t be bothered with these, then walking 30-minutes/day for 5 days each week is the next best thing.  Try walking at a moderate pace and every  5-minutes or so try stepping up the speed for a minute.
  3. SLEEP: Most adults need seven hours of sleep/night for optimum health.  Many people, however, suffer from obstructive or even central sleep apneas. If you snore, you may have sleep apneas.  I’ve tried C-PAP (continuous positive airflow pressure), Bi-PAP, and V-PAP since 1991 after an overnight sleep study showed that I had 59 arousals every hour of sleep.  I therefore now use (after 4 more sleep studies) a VPAP (variable positive airflow pressure) every night.  Sleep apneas cause wrinkles and fine lines around eyes as well as making your gut protrude, increase your chances of Alzheimer’s, etc.
  4. SUPPLEMENTS: a half-century ago there was very little research on nutritional supplements, and most health claims were therefore B.S.; today there is a ton of research (testimonials are not research) thanks to Life Extension Foundation-funded research, as well as  LEF’s monitoring and reporting of research from around the world.  Since many people have limited funds, you need to know the few essential supplements everyone should take daily: 1)multi-vitamin-mineral; 2)calcium; 3)magnesium; 4)fish oil; 5)vitamin B-12 lozenge; 6)5,000 IU vitamin D; 7)CoQ10; 8) Resveratrol; 9)blueberry extract.  Avoid most herbal supplements.

Your face reflects your overall heath.  While many are not too concerned about health benefits, most do want to look their best.  Hair dye will make you look a lot younger, however actions taken to improve your health will make you look your best.  Follow the four basics I cited above and you will look great.  Be sure to take fish oil supplements and use Dove soap and give it a full year to work its magic.  I’m 80 but am told I look 60 or younger so I know it works.

WHAT YOUR DOCTOR DIDN’T TELL YOU ABOUT STAYING HEALTHY

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What you don’t know can hurt you, especially in the field of medicine. But in the words of a cousin-in-law physician, “doctors are healers, not teachers.” In fact, there’s a lot of information necessary for the maintenance or restoration of your health that you need to know, especially as you age… and you probably won’t hear it from your doctor unless you know enough to ask him or her very specific questions and then only if your doctor is up to speed on whatever it is you want to know. The average length of a doctor visit is 11 minutes… doctors simply don’t have the time to meet at length with patients.

What qualifies me to write on this subject? I’ve had 34 surgeries and a huge array of medical problems in my 80 years, and I come from a large family who collectively has had a lot of experience with the medical establishment.  Moreover, since my first brain tumor surgery in 1969, I’ve read lots of medical literature and tried to keep up with the latest developments in medicine, health and nutrition that many physicians simply don’t have the time to follow.  Finally, I took 37 credits of biological sciences in undergraduate school so I understand, to a large extent, how the human body works.  One of my physicians once told me, “You’re the healthiest-looking sick person I’ve ever seen,” so I must be doing something right.

The following is my list of ten health tips which I believe should add at least 10-plus healthy years to your expected lifespan.  Of course there’s no guarantees in life but your likelihood for achieving much better health should be vastly improved,  The ten are: 1) choose the best health insurance you can afford, 2) eat a healthy diet, 3) exercise, 4) get adequate sleep, 5) maintain good relations with family and friends, 6) take dietary supplements and herbals, 7) get tested, 8) take responsibility for your health, 9) get effective medical treatment, and 10) keep up with the latest in health, medicine and nutrition. Continue reading

BENEFITS OF VITAMIN D, RESVERATROL, POMEGRANATE JUICE, DARK CHOCOLATE, GREEN AND BLACK TEA AND TESTOSTERONE (audio interview)

I decided to interview Dr. Smith (25-minute audio: click on the blue “play” icon at the bottom of this introduction to hear it.  Although there is some information about these foods and supplements, you don’t hear much from the medical profession…and the research I’ve seen suggests significant and substantial improvements to health and a reduction in medical disorders from them. Therefore, I wanted hear from a medical researcher and MD what the real benefits are.

The interview revolves around the research findings on vitamin D, resveratrol, pomegranate juice, dark chocolate, green and black teas, and testosterone.  Dr. Michael Smith is a medical doctor with specialties in radiology and internal medicine, and currently serves as the clinical information specialist with “The Life Extension Foundation” (LEF.org), a non-profit organization devoted to researching and disseminating information on preventing disease and medical disorders. Dr. Smith has been with The Life Extension Foundation for many years. He received his MD degree from the Southwest Medical Center at the University of Texas in Dallas.  In the interview, Dr. Smith makes it very clear that the only way to accurately determine: 1. The appropriate amount of vitamin D to take for optimum health (5-8,000 International Units), 2. What percentage of cocoa solids your dark chocolate should have for optimum benefits (70%), 3. How much green tea you need to drink each day (unless you take a green tea supplement…18 cups), black tea…the new green tea, 4. The benefits to the heart and prostate from pomegranate juice,  5. The benefits of proper levels of testosterone and how to obtain a physician who will prescribe testosterone for you (LEF Health Advisers will help you find a doctor in your area). To listen to this interview, please click on the following blue “play” button. Michael-Smith-LifeExt-Reversatol-DarkChoc-Tea-Testosterone Interview by Mike Russo.