The Sky is Not Unreachable

Posted on June 8, 2013 by

nepal

As a lifelong proponent of fitness and antiaging, I just love hearing stories of people who stretch and shatter the so-called limits mother nature has imposed upon us. Jack Lalanne towing 65 boats a mile on his sixtyfifth birthday, Johnny Kelly running marathons well into his eighties, “Granny D” walking across the United States at age 89. (she did ten miles per day by the way.) accounts like this force us to take a second look at how aging really affects us.

I came across another one today on Sonia Arrison’s great website. It seems that 80 year old adventurer Yuichiro Miura felt like going for a mountain climb recently so he decided upon one called Sagarmatha. That happens to be Nepalese for “Mount Everest.” No problem, he had already been there, done that 4 years prior. Any one older than this young guy wanna give it a try?

This proves again that you’re only as old as you think, provided you take care of yourself. And if you’re a youngster in your 60′s or 70′s, I guess theres still a lot you can do! Not only that, but the older and further out of shape you are the greater the gap or potential you have for improvement. This is why it’s so exciting when an 80 year old shows us how. He did feel a bit tired at the end of the day, though. Maybe he should give it up! ;) story

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Antiaging, Antifading with Testosterone

Posted on June 1, 2013 by

DSCN1855[1]

Have you had your testosterone level checked recently? This hormone has a surprising degree of influence on your quality of living whether you are a man or woman, it is not merely an aphrodisiac as many people think. Testosterone is the hormone of vitality, energy, excitement and the zest for living. Low levels can have a serious physical and psychological impact on you in ways you will not like. But if you suspect you have “low T” you have in front of you an easy and effective way to dramatically change your outlook and your life. And you can do it without drugs. I have a nice protocol below that will do just that!

Low testosterone turns a vital go-getter into a drone, it can leave him a husk of what he once was. And in women it can turn the bright colors of love into dull pastels, and take the enchantment out of any relationship. It’s all true. We too often attribute the drop in vitality and zest for life to aging and dull routine, but the facts show that neurotransmitters and hormones turn a sad life picture into an exciting cheerful one, or vice versa. Testosterone is a major player in this scenario. Here are some surprising facts about this “powerful life source”:

* -Testosterone is the most “cardio-protective” hormone in the body. Among many things testosterone is required for HDL (good cholesterol) to do its work. It promotes “reverse cholesterol transport” which facilitates the removal of LDL to the liver.
It’s interesting when you recall a few decades ago how researchers speculated that testosterone might be the cause of men’s shorter life-span in relation to women! Amazing.

* – Testosterone is one of the most “brain-protective hormones available. In fact, studies show that at least with men, higher testosterone equates to higher scores in cognitive tests like IQ tests. This effect does not apply to steroid drug abuse however. This can lead to the opposite effect. Testosterone is also well known to affect the levels of mood in aging men, and it can be a leading cause of depression.

* – Low Testosterone has been implicated in diseases such as heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes and even cancer. It has a powerful effect on immunity, and in metabolism and protein synthesis.

* – The lowered levels of testosterone in aging men is largely responsible for diminished energy, bone and muscle mass, and is listed in one study as a cause of falling in seniors. In one study men with the lowest levels of testosterone had a 40% higher risk of falling than those with the highest levels. In this test the results were independent of the subjects state of physical fitness. Testosterone has a clear impact on ones levels of strength, balance as well as alertness. (Archive Internal Medicine 166:2124-2131, 2006)

* Testosterone is also very important to the mood and libido of women. They must also strive to keep it at an optimum level; interestingly, obese women were found to have much higher levels than normal weight ones, yet this does not confer a protective effect. Excessive testosterone in women is suspected in breast cancer and can result in hirsutism (body hair) and other masculinization symptoms.

Unfortunately for many of us, just as in everything else testosterone levels diminish with ageing (for both sexes). In men this decline begins at around age 30, and by age 61 we have lost over 1/3 of this valuable hormone. And with this decline comes a heightened risk of death and incapacitation, and a lowered quality of life. The good new is that just as in aging itself we have a very pronounced ability to lessen and even reverse this effect. Here are some easy and simple ways to approach it:

1) Get 15-20 minutes of anaerobic exercise every other day. Weight lifting, cross training, high intensity workouts of any type all promote heightened levels of testosterone. But don’t overdo it. Extreme exercise and prolonged endurance training have a negative effect. One simple way to do this? Instead of a 45 minute run, shorten it to 30 minutes and tack on 15 minutes of calisthenics or weights at the end. Easier still, go for a 35 minute run and then walk or run for 5 minutes carrying a medium-heavy object (30-40lbs). Working out this way will promote a better overall body, and you will feel the results.

2) Adjust your diet to optimize testosterone. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, consume adequate amounts of meat – but don’t eliminate all the fat! Very low fat diets inhibit testosterone production. Go easy on the starchy carbohydrates. They are cold water on that hormonic fire. The Mediterranean diet appears to be best. (Intl Journal Impotence Res, 18:405-410,2006)

3) Get plenty of sleep. Self-obvious one here. Sleep deprivation is toxic to hormones like testosterone, growth hormone, etc.

4) Get a lot of sex. Sex begets sex. You don’t get it out of your system, the opposite is true. So do your bodily duty!

5) Lose weight. Fat cells have a disastrous effect on testosterone levels. They express the hormone aromatase which converts testosterone to estrogen, which is not good for guys. As a matter of fact, most overweight men over 50 have higher levels of estrogen than their wives. Good news however, if you follow the above guidelines the weight will come off too.

6) Take simple testosterone promoting supplements. Fish oil, saw palmetto and nettle leaf or root extract, forskolin, etc. A profound trouble of senior men is a lowered level of Free testosterone, instead of general overall levels. Most testosterone gets bound up in SHBG – sex hormone binding globulin, a protein that essentially renders it inert to the immediate requirements of it. These supplements can inhibit the binding process, allowing more free testosterone to circulate and work it’s magic. They also have many side benefits by the way.

I hope these suggestions can be of help to you. Don’t let “low T” extinguish that fiery spark in your life. If you give em a try you will see what life can really be!

A serious case of low T
LowwwT<

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Cold, Healthy and Delicious

Posted on May 27, 2013 by

chbomb
Here’s a great new drink suggestion to try for the summer. I call it the Cherry Bomb. It’s the perfect choice if you need something cold and tasty on a hot day – and you also want a powerful health tonic dose in the process.

This little glass packs more benefit than any I’ve seen or concocted to date. It’s anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and flavonoid composition blows away most other recipes, and I was also very surprised to find that the taste followed suit. If you are an anti-ager like myself, if you seek cardiovascular health or if you want a drink that can foster rapid muscle recovery after exercise you should give it a taste.

The ingredients:

Mix 1/3 glass of tart cherry juice, 1/3 glass unsweetened pomegranate juice, and @1/4 glass selzer (lime flavored is great) a squirt of lime, one shot vodka (optional) and top with ice.

Tart cherry has received a lot of attention lately because of its powerful inflammatory suppression properties. its antioxidant rating has tested higher than other popular food sources like dark chocolate and red wine. Note that tart cherry is superior to sweet cherries in this area. When tested for pain relief, the tart variety has shown to be as effective as ibuprofen and naproxen in some studies. In one sports related study, marathon runners were given either tart cherry juice or a control drink for 5 consecutive days before a race, on the day of the race, and for two days following it. The tart cherry group showed faster isometric strength improvement after the race, demonstrating an accelerated recovery over the placebo group. Other studies have supported tart cherry’s ability to reduce the pain and strength loss incurred with strenuous exercise.

Pomegranate juice has shown cardiovascular benefits second to no other beverage. As discussed here in previous posts, this fruit has the remarkable ability to remove accumulated arthrosclerotic plaque from the arteries. (“studies” page above). This in effect reverses a classic marker of aging. The polyphenols in pomegranate activate the paraoxinase 1 enzyme, (Pon1) which both raises the concentration of beneficial HDL in the blood, and inhibits the oxidization of LDL – a prime culprit in cardiovascular disease.

So if you wish to happily indulge in a great drink this summer – without any guilt, this might be the one to try. Even if you only have one of these over the course of the day, you’ve done your body right.

I might recommend experimenting with the proportions that you mix, tart cherries can have a cloying taste not diluted in a certain way. The lime juice can lessen this. Done right this drink tastes a bit like a Cape-codder. I have thus decided to always keep some cherry and pomegranate juice in the “chilled medicine cabinet” from now on. It goes well with dinner also.

Cheers!

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Exercise – Cut Your Time in Half

Posted on May 25, 2013 by

big hill1
Yes, I know you hate to exercise. So do I – (particularly running), but the reality is that as you get older and start “packing on the luggage” it becomes clear that unless you start adding some activity to your life you are going to suffer for it. Most of the fatigue, aches and pains and mental declines we attribute to aging are actually the result of lifestyle choices , the proof is in the ease in which they are corrected when the habits are changed. But as stated above: You hate to exercise! So the question is this: How can we make it as quick and easy as possible? There are many answers for this, heres one:

The current recommendation is to perform 60 minutes of moderate exercise per day to maintain healthy weight. That’s what the “Women’s Health Study” published in the Journal of the American Medical Assoc a couple years ago said. (30 minutes per day is adequate for cardiovascular protection, but if you want to look and feel healthy you need more). I don’t know about you, but 60 minutes daily is quite a commitment. It’s true that you can “break this up into chunks” – little workout sessions throughout the day, but lets be realistic. Vaguely stating: “Ok, I’m going to start adding stuff”, just doesn’t cut it. Nothing really gets changed. But you can break up that big chunk – the 60 minutes, if you ramp up the intensity a bit. And it’s actually quite easy to do that. Here’s a few ways:

I have always searched for ways to optimize my workouts – to get the best overall results in the least time. One way is to do forms of interval training, to add periods of high exertion to your standard pace. If you are a notorious exercise hater, you don’t have to get out the weights, just throw on the sneakers and head out doors. Plan out a route in advance, one with substantial hills and valleys. When you get to a hill go all out, pick up the pace rather than slow down. You can rest on the other side, but keep a reasonable pace there also as the goal is an elevated heart rate and exertion level. With this procedure you can shave as much as 50% off your overall workout time and receive the same benefit.

An even better way to increase the intensity level while also promoting strength and maintenance of bone and muscle mass is to simply have some kind of weight handy near the end of your workout. I spoke of this in an earlier post – by lifting and carrying a manageable weight a short distance you workout out 90% of your muscles and dramatically bump up the benefits of your exercise session. You can simply walk a route in the above method for 28 minutes then carry the weight for the last two, or walk a tread mill for the 28 and pick up a 30 or 40 lb weight and finish. Do this for a couple weeks and you will be amazed with the results.

I’ve integrated this approach myself in recent weeks. It’s in the spirit of the cross-training techniques I’ve adopted. I work out for @ 45 minutes then finish with a 1/4 mile run carrying a 60lb bag of dirt. I require physical assistance to pull myself off the ground after this ordeal….

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Arthritis Pain – A Thing of the Past.

Posted on May 19, 2013 by

ankle2

Let’s say you’re an aging athlete like myself (57 years of age). You religiously continue to follow your workout plans, but lately, because of persistent, nagging foot and knee pain you have considered scaling back and “joining the ranks of the aged.” Not a very happy scenario, is it?
But wait – I just experienced one of those WOW moments! I found a pain killing supplement that completely shut down the problem like a gallon of water thrown on a candle! I still cannot believe the results. If you are suffering from low grade arthritis (osteo or rheumatoid) you really don’t want to pass this one up. It really does the job.
The product is called Arthromax, put out by the Life Extension Foundation. The key ingredients are glucosamine, Apreflex (a proprietary boswellia extract), Boron, and UC-11, a cartilage derived from chicken sternums. With the exception of the last one, these are supplements that I’ve tried repeatedly with limited success. As I said, they did little to stop the downward spiral that had now precluded me from competing as hard as I’d like. But it’s a different story now. I’ve been using Arthromax for about two weeks and have experienced no pain whatsoever, even though deliberately going all out to put it through the test.
What is UC-11? It is undenatured chicken cartilage, a substance that possesses some unique properties, most notably the ability to modulate and inhibit an overreactive immune system response to vigorous exercise. This overreaction, which in effect constitutes an attack on your joints occurs because in moderate to intense physical activity the smooth cartilage surface is worn away temporarily, exposing collagen – the tough connective tissue, and the immune system cells recognize this as a foreign substance, unleashing the joint destructive inflammatory cytokines and sensitized killer T cells. Rather than the productive “micro-tears” of muscle tissue resulting from a beneficial workout, these are cumulative and painfully inhibitive. In other words, they literally eat away your shock absorbing cartilage. It’s a pretty painful and disturbing outcome for someone trying to improve their health!
Arthromax also contains a healthy dose of glucosamine – that nutrient necessary for rebuilding joints that already have sustained a bit of wear. The boswellia extract “ApresFlex” inhibits 5-lipoxygenase, which leads to the formation of other inflammatory leukotrienes and interleukins. Their proprietary form is suppose to be up to 50% more absorbable than other boswellia supplements I’ve found. I won’t argue, as I’ve said – the results speak for themselves!
So don’t give up on your competitive desires, don’t throw in the towel in your battle with aging. Performing beneficial physical exercise should not be a painful ordeal. I found out that for myself. If you’re in the same boat, why not give Arthromax a try? It can be found in many health shops; it is a bit pricey at @$30 per bottle, but you could join the Life Extension Foundation and get good discounts on it and many other products, like me. :)

arthromax<a

Warren

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“Death be Not Proud” – From the Antiaging Perspective.

Posted on May 11, 2013 by

Strive
Waxing in a philosophical mood, I thought I should “work up a shine” on the motivation behind this blog and the anti-aging drive in general. I’ve got a few interesting points for you to consider:

Why does a fruit fly live for only a few months, a dog a decade or so, a human 80-90 years and a tree for hundreds? I think I know the answer. It makes all the logical sense, and is being bourne out in scientific laboratories daily. It is because mother nature cares only about the propogation of the gene line. It is all about survival of the species in a dynamic changing environment. Now “changing” is the keyword here, and it explains death quite nicely. Consider:
In the vast gene pool of a species, mutations that have an advantage of some sort have a better chance of surviving the hostile world, but these individual traits cannot be passed on, they will merely be diluted in a world if other individuals don’t die out to make room. Their advantage cannot be “expressed”.

Second, in order for the gene to propogate the parent of the progeny must give the infant a fighting chance in the world, so mother nature has designated a particular necessary lifespan to the species to enable this “training period”. Most of this is textbook stuff, with a bit of conjecture thrown in,

BUT – some species have evolved particular traits that throw peoples general perceptions right out of whack. This demands an accounting, and some serious review of what many of us believe. I also think it is the underlying motive for the so called antiaging movement. To explain let me ask another question:
Do you harbor the belief that “all things must pass” or “Life and death have a natural cycle”, or “The only certain things are death and taxes?” How would you feel about this statement: Death is not a certain thing. Some living things never die. (unless they are killed). Some species are or are in effect immortal. All things do not die. Now this is not an opinion, but a fact.

In light of the fact that humans live for about 80 years or so, how long does something have to live to be considered relatively or pretty much immortal? Thousands of years? Some species of tree live for exactly that. There are bristlecone pines alive today that were saplings when the pyramids were built. Not enough time? There is a specie of fungus – one living in the Midwest that scientists say is about 25,000 years old! But if that still cannot be considered “immortal” (though I think it begs the point) understand that there are many species that actually are immortal. Bacteria will technically live forever – if not killed. They go on dividing and dividing never to stop… And there is actually a type of jellyfish that when it gets old it doesn’t die, instead it reverts back to an infant stage and starts the cycle over again! Kind of interesting, aint it?

What is the underlying point behind my long painful harangue? It is that there is simply a physical cellular, chemical or environmental factor influencing life spans, and I feel as do many that with a firm understanding of it we will eventually be able to alter and control it, and we are getting closer every single day. The discoveries that I and other antiaging advocates speak about dance around the issue and do cause adjuvant influence on the factor, and also give us a chance to possibly be around when the next revolution takes place. The antiaging movement is merely an expression of the natural drive for life. The limits we select through “convention” are not “morally true” any more than it is morally right to sit back and allow a child to die from an illness because nature always planned it that way. We should not belittle the human spirit for life and survival. It breeds great things for all!

To sum up, at the very least we have a clear ability to better our lives with these protocols we have even today. My motive behind this blog is to try to bring em to you in a way you can digest and apply for yourselves. I hope you get value from what I present.
Warren

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Antiaging Supplements A-Z

Posted on May 4, 2013 by

supersupplements

As you all know, a well thought out supplement plan is an essential element in anyone’s health/antiaging program. I am no exception. Here is my own pill-poppin’personal power protocol. I’ve designed it after very extensive research and also some serious budgetary considerations. If you would like to slow or even reverse the aging process, get a shot of extra energy, think clearer, live longer and feel better, maybe you ought to check it out. I have listed links and supporting evidence for each one. You probably are even using some yourself right now!

“A” is for Alpha lipoic acid. This is probably the most powerful anti-oxidant you can find. It is both water and fat soluble, it recharges other antioxidants after they have done their job, and it is an essential part of the energy generation process. (citrus acid cycle) Alpha lipoic acid works synergistically with CoQ10 to improve energy (mitochondrial function) and it even chelates (clears) heavy metals. A top choice and reasonably inexpensive.

“B” is for B Vitamin complex. A good one contains all the B vitamins, which are essential for carbohydrate metabolism and energy generation. B3 (niacin) can control cholesterol, B12 (cobalamins) protect the brain, most of them are essential for hormone production. Quite a package and very cheap to boot.

“C” is for CoQ10. CoQ is essential for the energy process as I noted in a post recently. It is an antioxidant that works right where most free radicals are produced – the mitochondria – so it is invaluable, and essential to health. CoQ production diminishes with age, but is is easily absorbable and not too costly. If taking statins you really must supplement it.

“D” is for – that’s right Vitamin D. This vitamin actually works more like a hormone, it influences so many biological functions. Most people are not getting enough vitamin D. It’s required for much more than calcium absorption; insufficient vitamin D can lead to cardiovascular problems, weakened immunity and system-wide inflammation. Vitamin D is deficient in most diets, if you are not getting a lot of sunshine you should supplement with 1000-2000 iu of it daily, particularly in the winter months.

“E” is for my “two-per-day” multivitamin shown which contains vit E along with C and a spectrum of other important ones. Everyone’s supplement plan should begin with a multi, they ensure against the inevitable dietary shortages we all experience.

“F” is for Fish oil. The Super Omega-3 shown above provides ample EPA and DHA, essential polyunsaturated fats for good health. Their vast benefits are touched on right here. Omega 3′s are probably your most important supplement, their broad function is very well documented. Here is one nutrient that is actually better taken supplementally than dietary because of possible contamination issues from pollution. It is a very inexpensive and safe one to use too.

“K” is for the fat soluble vitamin K. This one is often overlooked by most multi manufacturers, and though it is available in many foods such as leafy green vegetables, the dietary portion is not very well absorbed. Vitamin K is important for cardiovascular health as is well known, but bone integrity also relies upon it. More on Vit K (and D) here.

“M” is for Magnesium. This mineral is involved in over 300 metabolic functions, and despite many dietary sources there is still rampant deficiency. I have discussed magnesium here, it’s role is as broad reaching as calcium, a mineral it often works hand in hand with. I would also recommend supplementary calcium, but it’s not part of my own protocol because I get a lot in my dairy and other foods consumption. Magnesium is very cheap, be sure to include it.

“P” is for PQQ – Pyrroloquinoline quinone. I started taking this substance about a year ago when I found that it can actually stimulate the growth of new mitochondria in the cells. As mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the hallmarks of aging it fit in well with my agenda of “age reduction”. PQQ is the most powerful antioxidant for preserving the health of your little dynamos. According to a study by the Univ of California “Pqq is 30 – 5000 times more efficient in sustaining redox recycling (in energy production) than other common antioxidant compounds” (like vitamin C). (See “Studies” page) Pqq is a bit costly however, but you can use it for certain terms, as I do.

“R” is for Resveratrol. This is a polyphenol present in red wine (grape skins), peanuts and chocolate that has gotten great publicity as an “lifespan prolonger” due to it’s effect on genetic expression related to aging. It’s benefits are very similar and also synergistic to the “calorie restriction” plans advocated by life extension experts. More on this nutrient here.

“T” The big bottle top right contains Trimethylglycine TMG which is similar to a B vit in it’s effects. It is a powerful controller of homocysteine a potentially dangerous precursor of cardiovascular disease. TMG promotes remethylation, which is the process of converting homocysteine back into methionine. Other B vitamins (b12 etc) aid in this also. Methylation is a critical metabolic process all cells must undergo. Diminished methylation is considered one of the hallmarks of aging as significant as free radical damage, hormone disfunction and possibly even mitochondrial decline. TMG is very cheap, why not get yourself some? (Its made from beets – betaine)

That’s my own personal list. As you’ll note it is not only geared toward general well being, but it also follows developments in longevity and antiaging. As stated above I have scrutinized each one individually as to veracity of its benefits and also it’s wallet friendly nature. Hope you can integrate a few of these into your own plans.

Bottoms up!
bottomsup2

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