Anti-Aging Directoy | Articles

Today I’ve decided to include an article other than mine. The author of this article is Dov Oshri, who created the Anti-Aging Fitness Program – “Change Your Body and Be Admired”. He is also the editor of “Body for Mind”: Wellness Lifestyle for Successful People.

Have you tried to lose weight after 30? Wasn’t that more difficult than ever before? Guess what? It’s even more difficult after 40! Have you ever wondered why your body reacts differently to the same regimes you apply in different stages of your life?

People that have never had a weight problem get flabbier after 30 without clear explanation. They start exercising and they don’t see any improvement. They eat less, and they still don’t achieve any significant change. What they don’t take into consideration is the aging impact on their body

Aging is a Reason for Gaining Weight and the Obstacle to Losing Weight

There are more than 20 theories about aging but the most researched one is the “Free Radicals” theory.  Free radicals are atoms or molecules in which at least one electron is unpaired causing an instability (a stable atom contains a balance of paired electrons which encircle the nucleus).

This instability causes the electrons to be very reactive – they bond easily with healthy molecules and damage them. According to the free radicals theory, this damage is what causes you to age and to become vulnerable to certain diseases.

The most common free radical is an oxygen radical, which occurs in the mitochondria when an unpaired electron interacts with oxygen. Mitochondria are your cellular power plants, the tiny structures in your cells that provide energy in the chemical form of ATP.  This is your “fuel” for all your life functions. It helps your heart to pump and your lungs to distribute oxygen when you breathe.

When free radicals are formed in the mitochondria, they reduce the power of your cellular power plants to produce energy efficiently. You are not running out of energy because you’re aging. You are aging because you are running out of energy. Free radicals gradually shut down your power as if you are slowly turning off a light dimmer.

Free Radicals and Energy Reduction are the Roots of Most Aging Problems

Without energy your metabolic rate drops causing you to accumulate more body fat. You are losing muscle mass, bone mass, facial collagen and you are tired even when you have over-slept.

Energy reduction at the cellular level also decreases the hormone secretion in your glands. The most abundant hormone in the body is DHEA. It is known as the “mother of all hormones” because it is involved in manufacturing of other hormones, especially the sexual hormones estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.

DHEA peeks at the age of 20 but afterwards declines sharply so at age 45 you have 50% of your high peek DHEA, and at the age of 65 you have only 10-20% of what you had at age 20. As the mother of all hormones DHEA represents a decline in other hormones as Human Growth Hormone, (HGH), Testosterone (in men), estrogen and progesterone (in women).

Studies show that as lower your hormone level is, as higher your tendency to accumulate fat.

Weight gain after 30 is a result of a vicious cycle of aging. Aggressive free-radicals decrease energy production which decreases hormone level and your metabolic rate to levels that most diets cannot help.

Anti-Aging Can Support Weight Loss by Neutralizing Free-Radicals

The most common way to fight free radicals is by increasing significantly antioxidants in your body. Your body produces antioxidants naturally or it gets it from food like fruit and vegetables.

Antioxidants are form of enzymes that attack free radicals by attaching to the unpaired electron and neutralize it. There are 2 kinds of antioxidants:

• The first type patrols the body, blocking the formation of free radicals.
• The second type disarms the already existing free radical before they bind with healthy molecules.

Studies show that today’s fruit and vegetables are not rich in antioxidants as few decades ago. It is impossible to get the recommended level without supplements as multi-vitamin, vitamin C, and vitamin E in the right dosages. But this by itself doesn’t make the difference. No one lose weight just by taking antioxidants.

Anti-Aging Can Support Weight Loss by Boosting Energy in Your Cells

You can increase your cells energy if you exercise regularly and supplement your food with energizers. Energizers are vitamins and minerals that increase the energy production in your cells. Well studied energizers are Lipoic Acid, Chromium Picolinate, Coenzyme Q-10, and others. Cardio training is the best exercise to boost your cellular energy. Cardio training is what you may know as aerobic exercise like jogging, cycling, rowing or other activities that ramp your heart rate.

Anti-Aging Can Support Weight Loss by Increasing Hormone Level and Accelerating Metabolic Rate

An expensive and still questionable way to increase your hormones is Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Hormone replacement therapy must be recommended and supervised by a doctor. But criticizers recommend staying away and not messing with the side effect risks of hormones.

You can boost your hormone level significantly without a doctor and for free if you engage in resistance training like free weights, weight machines, bands, cables or even body weight.

Studies show without a doubt that resistance training stimulates secretion of HGH and testosterone. But that’s not all. Resistance training has many other benefits. It helps to gain muscle and reverses the aging damage of losing muscle. The more muscles you have, the more fat you burn because mussel growth accelerate you metabolic rate.

Aging is Not an Obstacle Anymore to Weight Loss

You reverse your aging damages backward and slow your aging forward when you burn fat and gain muscle. You can accelerate this process by reducing free-radicals and increase energy production using supplements. But there is no way to achieve it without special exercises that boost hormone level and nutrition that decreases blood sugar.

Click here to learn more about Anti-Aging Fitness Program.

As surprising it may sound, the “secret” to living a long, healthy life can be bought right at your supermarket. By eating right, you maximize the probability that you won’t develop age-related health conditions. Beyond choosing the best foods, – as we have already implicated this fact in our earlier post – eating less can reduce the toll time takes on your body. So how can you make sure you are eating the right foods? Follow these simple rules and you can’t go wrong!

RULE 1: Go For Color
RULE 2: Rely On Real Food, Not Supplements
RULE 3: Avoid Processed Foods
RULE 4: Don’t Be Afraid Of (Good) Fats
RULE 5: Red Wine – in moderation
RULE 6: Green Tea -go for it
RULE 7: Eat Less

RULE 1: Go For Color

We have already dedicated a whole post to elaborating the importance of antioxidants. Luckily, mother nature made it easy for us to spot foods high in antioxidants: They’re the ones bursting with color. Berries help maintain cognitive and motor functioning as we age. Pomegranates have been found to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. And broccoli and brussels sprouts contain compounds that help prevent breast cancer.

RULE 2: Rely On Real Food, Not Supplements

Although there is a big difference between the quality of available supplements, there is still a general rule about them: They have nothing on real, natural food. That’s because the nutrients in real food are working together in a complex way, while supplements are more likely to miss this aspect of delivering the needed nutrients to your body.

RULE 3: Avoid Processed Foods

Processed foods are full of preservatives, chemicals, and added colors — therefore they are not as nutritious. Just think of the example of whole-wheat bread versus white bread. Whole wheat is proven to fight heart disease, because of the fiber and other nutrient contents in it. While from white bread, many nutrients are taken out during processing, and few are put back.

Your body also typically digests whole food more slowly than processed food, which keeps blood sugar and insulin levels from fluctuating rapidly. And because whole foods pack fewer calories per gram, they ward off weight-related illnesses like heart disease and stroke.

Everybody knows how working out can benefit your overall health. But did you know that it’s also good for your skin? Find out why, in this article.

So how can regular exercise improve the look of your skin? The answer to this question will seem obvious if you consider the fact that skin is the largest human organ. It’s a well-known fact how regular exercise improves the health of your internal organs – such as your heart, liver, kidneys, muscles, etc. – and thus your overall health. However, in this article we will focus on how your skin can benefit from your regular workouts.

1. Increased blood flow.

You have probably noticed that after a good workout, you feel pumped and energized. That’s because when you exercise, the blood flow increases throughout your body. This increased blood flow carries more oxygen to your cells and more oxygen means improved natural collagen production for your skin. In addition, the blood will carry more nutrients through your veins, which improves skin health. These nutrients can really increase your skin care products effectiveness.

2. Sweat.

In addition to the increased blood flow,  there is a very much obvious effect of exercise – sweat. When you sweat, your body gets an “extra” outlet to release toxins. Those toxins could clog your pores, thus can cause blemishes and acne. Our body’s mechanisms to get rid of toxins are the kidneys, the liver and our skin. By exercising regularly, you increase their functions and therefore your body’s ability to cleanse itself. That said, it’s quite clear how important is it to shower after working out, as those toxins are now released and are on the surface of your skin. All you need to do is, wash them off!

3. Natural moisture production.

The best moisturizer that you can find for your skin is the one your skin produces on its own. During exercise your skin releases natural oils that provide moisture for your skin. This will result in a healthy, beautiful, natural glow and your skin will look more firm. However, as we’ve previously mentioned – don’t forget to cleanse your skin after working out to prevent the toxins and dirt from clogging your pores.

4. Toning muscles.

The next benefit that I wanted to mention is the fact, that by exercising, you are toning your muscles. Why is this important for your skin? – you may ask. For 2 reasons. One of them is not-so-obvious; working out benefits your skin’s overall appearance, because if the muscle is toned under the skin, the skin will look more supple and firm. In addition, the increased blood-flow will improve your skin’s natural collagen production. The other reason is more “in-you-face” – as for most of us, ladies – and that benefit is reducing cellulite! As cellulite is basically an uneven fat deposit under your skin, it is very likely, that you can smooth away that “orange-peel” with exercise. Of course, you can’t get completely rid of cellulite by working out, but you can definitely improve the appearance of it.

5. Reduce Stress.

And last but not least – we must mention the stress factor. We all heard of stress triggering, or for the least, worsening acne and breakouts. Working out reduces stress, therefore you will have a better chance at getting rid of that acne. Plus, since you’re less stressed, there will be less frowning – which is great for the look of your facial skin.

So there we have it; 5 strong reasons why regular exercise should be part of our everyday skin care “regimen”. It’s all up to you now if you want to act on it…

Throughout our daily life we are exposed to pollution, exhaust fumes, toxins in our environment, cigarette smoke, highly processed foods, pesticides, herbicides, and many more pollutants that occur in our environment. For the most part, we accept this pollution as part of industrial growth and progress. However, our bodies do not accept this pollution! And it is doing damage everyday and every time that we are exposed to it.

Pollution and environmental toxins are full of free radicals which invade the body and do harm. The human body produces antioxidants which fight off free radicals and keep the body healthy, however as time goes on, more and more free radicals are being produced and entering our bodies which reduces the amount of antioxidants that are available to fight them.

Free radicals cause a variety of problems for the human body including, premature aging, poor circulation, mental detritions, liver damage, a lack of energy, bruising, heart disease and even cancer.

It is imperative that the body has a plentiful store of antioxidants to draw from in order to effectively fight the free radicals that invade the body. Because of the constant bombardment of environmental stresses on the body, the antioxidants are being used up and it becomes necessary for us to ingest antioxidants in order to help fight the war on free radicals.

Fortunately there are many sources of antioxidants that are available to us. Some common sources are vitamin E which is found in wheat germ oil, nuts and seeds, whole grains, egg yolks, and leafy green vegetables and vitamin C which can be found in broccoli, citrus fruits, brussel sprouts, potatoes, parsley and strawberries. Beta carotene which can be found in dark green leafy vegetables and orange and yellow vegetables, lutein is found in kale, leeks, spinach, collard greens, romaine lettuce, peas and egg yolks,  and lycopene which is found primarily in tomatoes, are also great sources.

Vitamin B2 which is commonly found in dairy products, eggs and meat products, Coenzyme Q10 which is found in fish and meat and cysteine which is found in most high protein foods are also excellent antioxidants.  Herbs such as bilberry, turmeric, and grape seed are also rich sources of antioxidants.

The best way to ensure that your body has enough antioxidants is to consume a wide variety of enzymes, vitamins, minerals and herbs to properly arm yourself against free radicals. Many people choose to take a vitamin supplement that is specifically formulated to fight free radicals as well.

There is a lot of talk these days about free radicals and antioxidants. So what exactly are free radicals? What do they mean to you and your health? Free radicals are natural compounds that occur in the environment and are formed in the body. They are very unstable compounds because they tend to carry a lot of expendable energy. When a free radical reduces or releases its energy into the body, they effectively interfere with certain cells in the body, by reacting with the natural chemicals in the body.

When free radicals interact with the chemicals in the body, they will also interfere with normal cell functioning and can lead to a wide variety of problems in the body. In fact, free radicals have been associated with at least sixty different health conditions, ranging from wrinkles and premature aging to more serious conditions such as cancer.

So where do free radicals come from? Well the answer may surprise you. Free radicals occur naturally in the body during metabolism, however many other free radicals enter the body through other, external sources. Some of the common sources of free radicals are: industry pollution, excess sun exposure, cosmic rays, x-rays, heavy metals, ozone, car exhaust, cigarette smoke, alcohol and chemical compounds.

Free radicals have been linked to cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, premature aging and wrinkles and many other diseases.

Is there anything to be done against free radicals? There is a defense from free radical damage, and they are called antioxidants. Typically your body can handle the free radicals in the body, however if there are not enough antioxidants available, your body will have trouble fighting off the free radicals and suffer the damages.

It is very important to your overall health to lower your exposure to free radical sources while increasing your antioxidant sources in order to defend your body against the damage that can occur.

While medical opinions vary on the importance of antioxidants in extending life and bettering the quality of life, it is a healthy practice to ensure that your body receives enough antioxidants. It is important to eat your fruits and vegetables in order to receive enough antioxidants in the body. The best supplements and vitamins for antioxidants are manganese, zinc, copper, and selenium. Some other vitamins that are antioxidant rich are vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, Vitamin B2, and coenzyme Q10. Most of these vitamins can be found in a healthy diet that is rich in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.