Aging with Vitality and Energy

Joyful, energetic aging - I say YES!   

I realized quite awhile ago that my thoughts and attitudes determine most of my reality.  This is why I have decided that the typical negative belief system regarding aging (namely physical and mental decline) is no longer a part of my mindset. 

“Isn’t that naïve?” you might ask.   Not so much… obviously, nobody’s getting out of here alive!  Studies are showing that those who live long, healthy lives are typically ones who have a positive view on aging, have worked at minimizing stress, eat and live close to nature and make a conscious decision to be happy! (1)  So the real question is, who will you choose to be, as an aging person?

Since we are all going to age and eventually pass, the choice we do have is clear:  which path will we take for the rest of our journey? Will it be one of worry, chronic illness, stress and obsessing about getting older?  Or, will it be a path of joy, abundant energy, good health and fun?

If we followed the bad examples we see in the media:  celebrities and those poor housewives on the reality TV shows, manically attempting to look younger, we’d be in bad shape.  Going to extreme measures, obsessing about looking young while being fearful of the natural process of aging binds us to the falsehood that our value as human beings (and especially as women) lies in our external appearance. 

“Aging”, as Betty Davis once said “is not for sissies”, and she was right!  It takes a certain boldness to turn from the externally-focused fear of aging mentality that dominates our culture, and instead embrace the new possibilities and positive aspects of aging.   When we chose to focus our attention on loving ourselves at any age, optimizing our health with whole foods and exercise and creating positive thoughts and attitudes, the wisdom, rich perspective, self-love and gratitude that can come with age become our rewards.

Studies show that individuals who live long, healthy lives:

• Have a positive view on aging
• Have worked at minimizing stress
• Eat and live close to nature 
• Make a conscious decision to be happy!

Inspired by the advice of healthy-aging experts such as Christiane Northrup, MD and Andrew Weil, MD and the tips conveyed by the much admired 84 year old successful, happy and healthy author Louise Hay, here is a list of suggestions to help us all feel our best as we move healthfully and gracefully through the aging process.

Tips for Happy-Healthy Aging:

1. Quiet your Mind  As an advocate of healthy eating and exercise, you would think that listing health- promoting, whole foods and supplements would top my list of happy, healthy aging tips.   However, I have seen people consume the most nutritious food in the world and take the best supplements and still be unhealthy and miserable.  When self- defeating or destructive thoughts run rampant in our minds, our bodies feel the impact.  The long and short-term stress caused by our negative thought patterns contribute to dis-ease and various illnesses.  Excess cortisol, a hormone released from the adrenal glands in response to mental or physical stress causes elevated blood sugar, deposits of fat in our lower abdomen, raises cholesterol, elevates blood pressure and can contribute to hormone imbalance.

Whether it’s a formal spiritual practice or just a few minutes set aside each day to “follow the breath”, slowing down our thoughts and experiencing the calmness of a still mind has tremendous physical and mental health benefits (2).

2. Choose Happiness:  I believe to the idea that happiness is a choice and must be practiced.   “Pain is part of life, suffering is optional” are words that remind us that although we all will undoubtedly experience multiple challenges and endure pain and grief in our lives, learning to let go and not carrying those burdens and hardships with us is incredibly helpful.  In addition to practicing the art of letting go, when I find myself feeling negative, lost or down, I remind myself that I can replace my current thought patterns with more positive ones.  For instance, the simple act of finding something I am grateful for and expressing it will lift my emotions to more positive ones.  It’s empowering to know that we do have a choice as to which thoughts (and people) we give our attention to.  Forgiveness is another very powerful technique.  You can forgive anyone for anything, anytime.  They don’t need to be present, or even alive!  If you need more support in this area, check out

3. Whole Foods and Supplements:  Every bite you put into your precious body temple is a vote for health or not.  Becoming conscious of each choice is a great place to start.  Work toward a whole foods diet, including lots of veggies, small amounts of organic protein, plenty of good fats, and drink lots of pure water.  (more details on what to eat at the end of this article).   Dump the processed snacks, breakfast cereals, premade salad dressings and sodas from your pantry and start making your own – easy, delicious, and saves money, too!  Not sure where to start?  Buy yourself a copy of NourishingTraditions by Sally Fallon.

Move your Body every day.  Have an exercise routine that includes some cardio, stretching like yoga and some resistance work, and do some movement every day. Researchers at the Aging Research Center in Sweden found that those who exercise at least twice per week reduced their risk of dementia by more than 50% and of Alzheimer’s’ by 60%.

Perform brain stimulating activities.  Learning new dance steps, video games or a new language are fun ways to keep the mind sharp.

Get a good night’s sleep This means good, solid rest in a dark room (7-9 hours) If you can’t get this, work with your medical practitioner or an FDN such as myself,  to figure out why! (5)

Maintain and enjoy social connections with family and community. 

Take targeted supplements   

• Take 2000-5000 iu’s a day of vitamin D to keep your levels above 50.  People with healthy vitamin D levels have decreased incidence of dementia, heart disease and cancer.  Retest every 6 months.
• Supplement B vitamins as an extra “insurance policy” for extra energy and vitality, particularly in women. 
• Supplement high quality, mercury free fish oil for Omega 3 fats – keeps cells and brain flexible
• Make sure calcium and magnesium, zinc are sufficient. 
• Consider adding COQ10, Resveratrol, Curcumin – read up about these super-supplements!

Support your Adrenals.  Many of us, through years of mothering, fathering, overwork, underlying health problems, or just life’s stresses, have exhausted our adrenals.   If it isn’t as easy to cope with life as it used to be for you, your adrenals may have stopped being able to make enough cortisol to keep up with your needs.  Work with a certified FDN practitioner to make sure your adrenals are properly supported.  This isn’t aging.  This is adrenal fatigue, and it can be repaired.  Ignoring it can lead to more serious health issues.  Repairing it can help you feel vital and young, for many more years!

Balance your hormones: Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy done correctly can be tremendously helpful in increasing energy, stabilizing moods and improving overall health.  See the article “Has Anyone Seen My Hormones?” online at www. WNCWoman.com January 2013 isssue.

Know your Genetic Risk Factors - Knowledge is power.  These days, with the advent of $99 genetic testing, there's no excuse for not knowing what your big risk factors are.  Get your genetics done by 23andMe, or one of the other labs, and read about your bigger risks.  This is a simple saliva test that will unlock loads of useful information and research relevant to your health.  Make logical changes to your diet and supplementation to minimize your individual risks.  Genetics are information, not destiny.  Your genes express themselves based on your diet and other factors, way more than your ancestry.  If you don't wish to know some parts of your risk factors because you think it would bother you too much, you can selectively lock some illnesses.

B12 is one of the most common vitamin deficiencies we develop as we age.  This is due to the fact that it is a difficult vitamin to absorb as it requires stomach acid (which diminishes with age and is blocked by acid-blocking medications ).  It also requires a special protein called Intrinsic Factor which is made in the stomach and absorbed in the small intestines.  Blood testing is not always a reliable indicator of need.

Joyous, energetic aging is not about looking 40 when you are 60 or 60 when you’re 80.  It’s more about applying common sense strategies in order to stay sharp, minimize the odds of developing heart disease and cancer and doing what we can to keep our bones and immune system strong.  More importantly, it’s about feeling vital, having fun and enjoying life!  Contrary to what most of us have been conditioned to believe, now more than ever, healthy aging is a real possibility!

So, while we practice positive thinking, meditate, exercise, pop our vitamins and eat our colorful veggies, it’s also good to remember that laughing (even at ourselves trying to stay young) is definitely the best way to be happy and healthy at any age!

ADDENDUM: WHAT TO EAT 

Eat a high quality plant-based diet including 4-5 cups of organic vegetables and fruit per day, organic protein sources (eggs, cold water salmon, chicken, soaked nuts and seeds, buffalo, grass fed beef etc) and good fats such as olive oil, coconut oil and butter provide our bodies with the nutrient support and antioxidants necessary for optimal health and longevity. Europeans spend 16% of their income on food and have much lower incidences of chronic illness as they age.  In the US, where up to 60% of the population suffers from one or more chronic illness, we spend 6% of our income on food.  Investing in a nutritious diet is one of the wisest ways to spend our money and protect our health.  Eat well to age well! (3)

Water: Consume plenty (6-8 glasses) of pure water (improve your health and save money by getting a good water filter and drink from stainless steel or glass bottles instead of plastic).

Intestinal Health:  “All disease begins in the gut” - Hippocrates… Consider

Fiber - Taking in adequate fiber (at least 25 gms, preferably 40gms per day). Good sources are: ground organic flax seed, soaked nuts and seeds (especially pumpkin seeds), fresh veggies, whole fruit etc.

Support the garden (good flora) - Adding a high-potency probiotic (which is a source of good friendly bacteria that keeps our intestines healthy, keeps the bad pathogenic organisms at bay and creates B vitamins).  It is also critical to have a good bowel movement at least once, preferably twice per day.

Eat Consciously - To minimize digestive issues such as gas and bloating, its important to sit and relax when eating, chew food well, not consume liquids with a meal and consider taking a high quality digestive enzyme to assist in the breakdown and absorption of nutrients.  Digestive enzymes contained in food are destroyed when food is heated beyond 118 degrees. Additionally, our body’s production of digestive enzymes declines as we age. 

Fats are a concentrated source of energy, necessary for the absorption of Vitamins A, D and E and building blocks for our cell membranes and hormones and because the brain is composed of 70% fat, be sure to consume adequate amounts of healthy sources such as: organic coconut oil (great for cooking at high temperatures), cold-pressed olive oil, avocados, soaked nuts such as almonds, pecans, walnuts and organic butter.  Avoid processed foods, which often contain unhealthy fats.

Get off the blood sugar/insulin roller coaster ride by eating foods that have a low glycemic  index (meaning they raise your blood sugar gradually instead of causing a surge of insulin which causes weight gain and leads to inflammation-an underlying cause of many chronic illnesses.)  Foods such as nuts, seeds, veggies, protein and good fats have a low glycemic index and tend to balance and maintain blood sugar levels which in turn stabilizes our moods and energy levels.

Minimize the intake of acid-forming foods and drink such as: meat, soda, coffee and sugar.   When the body becomes too acidic (from these foods as well as from stress), it is more prone toward illness.  Additionally it leaches calcium from the bones to balance the PH of the blood making women more vulnerable to conditions such as osteopenia and osteoporosis.   Alkalizing foods are: green leafy vegetables, lentils, Kambucha, citrus fruits etc.

Consume some super-foods such as:  Acai, organic berries, and pomegranate as these colorful, antioxidant rich foods help ward off chronic illness.  Here’s your healthy justification for small amounts of organic dark chocolate and red wine!  

Enjoy at least 2 cups of green tea per day (a new study shows in addition to all other health perks associated with green tea, it can also help protect against glaucoma and other eye disease). (4)

Spice up your foods and decrease inflammation by adding pinches of cayenne, turmeric and other anti-inflammatory herbs.

References:

1.Levy, Becca et al, Longevity Increased by Positive Self-Perceptions of Aging, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2002, Vol.83,No.2,261-270
2. Dusek, JA, Benson, H, Mind-body medicine: a model of the comparative clinical impact of the actute stress and relaxation responses.  Minn Med. 2009 May;92(5):47-50
3. http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/eat_well_to_age_well_tips_for_older_adults
4.  Green Tea Catechins and Their Oxidative Protection”, Science Daily
5.  Bad Habits Can Age You by 12 Years, Mercola 5/11/10
6. Noordam,R et al, Levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in familia longevity:the Leiden Longevity study CMAJ, 2010 DO:10:1503/cmaj.120233

Additional Reading:

HealthyAging: Andrew Weil, MD 
Secretsto Longevity, Hundreds of Ways to Live to be 100 by Dr Mau Shing Ni