Tips For Healthy Aging

by RyanRosenthal on March 10, 2010

Every second of every minute is precious. Every hour of every day will only happen once. Time is ticking, and whether we like it or not, aging is inevitable. So if this is true, why are so many of us treating our bodies poorly? Why do we take better care of our cars than ourselves? When was the last time you visited your doctor for a health screen?

According to the American Medical Association, the average American is living longer. Statistics show that as environmental factors are changing around us, our lifespan increases. Studies show that more and more Americans are turning to alternative care to combat and prevent diseases of the body. People are now using preventative methods such as Chiropractic and Acupuncture to avert pathology.

As a physician who practice alternative medicine, there are many questions I am confronted with. One of the most vital questions I encounter at our Chicago chiropractic clinic is what fruits are the best to eat? A recent study in the British Medical Journal of 11,000 subjects for 17 years reported that fruit was the only food associated with a decrease in mortality. Those who ate fruit regularly had a "24-percent reduction in deaths from heart disease, a 32-percent reduction in deaths from strokes, and a 21-percent reduction in deaths from all causes.

The fruits highest in glutathione, a master antioxidant associated with longevity are avocados, watermelons, grapefruit, strawberries, oranges and cantaloupes. These fruits should not be cooked, but rather raw or frozen.

According to nutritional expert Jean Carper, high levels of glutathione, a powerful antioxidant, predict both good health and a longer life. The opposite is true for people with low levels of glutathione.

For the most part, fresh and frozen fruits are high in this "master antioxidant," as are carrots, tomatoes and raw tomato juice, spinach, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli.

Consider adding soy beans to your diets as well. In one study soy protein extended the life span of animals by 13 percent. Other studies show that it appears to lower LDL, the bad cholesterol, and triglyceride levels by at least 10 percent. But soy sauce or soybean oil won't do it. You must eat the protein. Best sources: soy milk, tofu, soy nuts, miso, tempeh. Also, you must eat soy protein every day because the beneficial chemicals, such as genistein and diadzein, remain in the body only 24 to 36 hours at most.

We know that we just gave you a lot of information to think about. But take a list of these items with you the next time you go to the grocery store. These fruits and vegetables are ones that we usually pass bye. Try adding avocado to your next salad, or turkey sandwich. Try raw carrots, broccoli and cauliflower in a light ranch dip. Get the antioxidants you need by having fun with your food.

For more information on healthy aging and other wellness tips please visit us at www.advancedphysicalmedicine.org

Born and raised in New York City, Dr. Rosenthal came to the Midwest to study medicine at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. With more than ten years of experience in chiropractic medicine, Dr. Rosenthal guides his patients to allow a smooth return to optimal health. Not only does Dr. Rosenthal practice health and medicine through his Chicago chiropractic clinic, but he works to give patients meaningful content by publishing articles.

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Natural Skin Tightening in Simple Steps

by ValerieRosenbaum on March 9, 2010

Natural skin tightening can be accomplished with just a few simple steps. There is no need to subject your face or your checkbook to the needles and other treatments offered by cosmetic surgeons.

The right topically applied formula can improve the skin’s health and appearance. It might not happen overnight, but the sagging and wrinkles didn’t develop overnight, either. So, give yourself some time. Here’s how to start the healing process.

Unless you have recently lost a lot of weight, the causes of the sagging are the same as those that cause the other signs of aging. Decreased production of collagen and elastin fibers is one problem. A low level of hyaluronic acid is another.

Free radical damage plays a role in wrinkle and age spot formation. Just how much of a role it plays in lost firmness is difficult to estimate. But, free radicals probably play a role in damaging the elastic fibers.

Chronic inflammation can also damage the elastic fibers, as time goes by. Knowing the causes of lost firmness is important for understanding how best to treat it. It is possible to reduce chronic inflammation, prevent and reverse free radical damage, increase the production of elastic fibers and improve the skin’s hyaluronic acid content, naturally.

The first step for natural skin tightening might be to make some changes in your diet. Some foods and beverages contribute to chronic inflammation, while other foods have natural anti-inflammatory activity. Increasing your intake of omega-3 fatty acids while reducing your intake of other dietary fats is one suggestion.

Another suggestion is to add more naturally anti-inflammatory herbs and spices to your diet. For example, turmeric, ginger and pepper have anti-inflammatory activity.

The second step for natural skin tightening may be to choose a mild cleanser. If the cleanser you are currently using is too harsh, it can cause irritation, which leads to redness and inflammation, which as you already know is one of the causes of aging.

Look for soaps containing active manuka honey or gels containing tea tree oil. Try a sulfur-based cleanser, especially if you have frequent acne outbreaks. Use your cleanser only when necessary. Don’t over-clean your face.

After you clean your face, you should always use a good moisturizer. That is the third step to natural skin tightening. If it contains the right ingredients, it can provide a 40% improvement in the skin’s firmness after only 18 days of use.

You will need to be consistent with your skincare regimen, if you want to see results. Sometimes, we get lazy or we expect immediate results. When it comes to improving the skin’s health and appearance, it takes a little time. Give it a month and see what happens. Take a close-up picture without makeup before you begin and look at the difference you see in a month. If you see no effect, choose another product.

Look for moisturizing ingredients like grape seed oil and bioactive keratin. They should provide the natural skin tightening that you want, in a relatively short period of time.

Valerie Rosenbaum has been researching the aging process for many years. If you want to protect your skin from wrinkles and fine lines then click here to find out which anti wrinkle creams she uses and recommends. She has worked extensively in combating the signs of aging naturally. To learn about protecting your skin visit her website DefendYourSkin.com.

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Looking For an Anti Aging Product For Sensitive Skin?

by ValerieRosenbaum on March 9, 2010

Judging from the negative reviews published on the internet, thousands of people need an anti aging product for sensitive skin. Sadly, the cosmetic companies are to blame for all of this.

Things are changing in Europe, but in the US, cosmetic companies are still allowed to include all but a handful of irritating ingredients and dangerous toxins. They know that the most common causes of redness, rashes, itching and other adverse reactions are artificial preservatives and added fragrances, but they continue to include them in all of their products.

You can learn to read the label of ingredients and identify things like parabens; the most commonly used artificial preservatives. You can buy only products that are fragrance-free. But, you cannot rely on a label that says “hypo-allergenic”.

The US FDA has attempted to have a legal definition created for hypoallergenic, but their requests have been over-ruled by the courts. The only thing that you can be sure of when you see that label is that the creams contain ingredients that are “less irritating” than the ones included in the company’s “regular” products.

What you have read so far applies to all cosmetics. When it comes to an anti aging product for sensitive skin, there are specific ingredients to avoid, such as the alpha and beta-hydroxy acids.

The mild acids are derived from fruits. They are generally recognized as safe, but they do cause redness, itching, burning and irritation in many people. The reason they are included in anti-aging products is because they have exfoliating activity, increase the cell turn-over rate and stimulate collagen production. There are milder ingredients that do the same thing.

Retinol is another ingredient to avoid if you need an anti aging product for sensitive skin. It causes the same kind of burning and sensitivity, if it is included in too high of a concentration.

Retinol is a form of vitamin A, an antioxidant. Research has proven that antioxidants are among the most effective compounds for reversing wrinkles and reducing the other signs of age.

Not all of the antioxidants cause adverse reactions. Coenzyme Q10, for example, has been shown to reverse wrinkles by nearly 30% over the course of six weeks, but no adverse reactions were reported. It feels good going on.

An anti aging product for sensitive skin might contain natural vitamin E, but you need to be very careful about that one. Most companies use synthetic vitamin E, which is derived from petrochemicals and can cause adverse reactions.

A protein complex called Functional Keratin is one of the ingredients that you should seek out, if at all possible. It may be a little difficult to find, because quantities are limited.

It was developed as an “anti-irritant”, to help people that have reactions caused by contact with irritating substances, such as harsh cleansers. It has proven beneficial for dermatitis and for wrinkle reduction, in separate studies.

Only the best anti aging product for sensitive skin will contain it. You may be pleasantly surprised by how little it costs, if you find the right manufacturer.

Valerie Rosenbaum has been researching the aging process for many years. If you want to protect your skin from wrinkles and fine lines then click here to find out which skin firming cream she uses and recommends. She has worked extensively in combating the signs of aging naturally. To learn about protecting your skin visit her website DefendYourSkin.com.

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