Age is Just a Number
Growing Older does not have to mean Getting Sicker
By Steven Horne
Aging: that’s inevitable. But, why do we age?
To put it a different way, why do the majority of people develop chronic health problems as they get older? Is this genetic? Are we programmed to develop chronic disease in our later years of life?
This seems to be the prevailing attitude about aging, because we often hear that the high rates of cancer, heart disease and diabetes in Western civilization are due to the fact people are living longer. But is this really true?
A little thought and investigation would suggest it’s not. First of all, some people are able to live to a “ripe old age” staying relatively active and healthy. This isn’t just the luck of genetics, as modern research shows that genetic expression is largely governed by mental attitudes and environmental factors like nutrition.
Furthermore, diseases like cancer, diabetes and other illnesses associated with aging are becoming more and more prevalent at younger ages. When we add this to the fact that many older people, who have developed chronic illnesses have reversed them and improved their health by changing their diet and lifestyle, we see that one’s chronological age is not the same as the process we call aging.
Adding birthdays doesn’t have to mean developing increasingly poor health, because health is not primarily a function of age. It is just one factor. More important than age is our lifestyle, which includes our diet, activity, hydration, sleep and the most critical factors of all—our attitude about life and how we handle stress.

In this issue we’ll explore the factors that reduce metabolic age and what you can do to turn back the clock and maintain your health, even as you add more candles onto that annual birthday cake.


What Causes Us to Age as We Grow Older?
Age is not the primary factor in health. Many young people are suffering diseases we used to associate with old age. such as diabetes and cancer.
At the same time, many people in this country are enjoying great health into their eighties and nineties. So, we are not doomed to develop heart disease, cancer, arthritis or dementia just because we’re getting chronologically older.
While there are a variety of factors that cause the body to break down as we age, one of the primary problems is the lack of nutrients needed to repair body structures as they experience normal wear and tear. To understand this better, let’s compare the body to a piece of machinery we’re all familiar with—an automobile.

As people drive an automobile, it causes wear and tear on the parts. To keep a car running efficiently, regular maintenance is required such as oil changes, replacement of filters, gaskets, spark plugs, tires, brake pads and the battery. Many people are able to get many more miles out of their car by diligently performing regular maintenance to replace worn parts.
Like a car, the body suffers wear and rear, hut the body is also equipped to be sell-maintaining. It is constantly replacing old tissues with new tissues. Tissues that receive the most exposure to wear and tear are replaced faster, such as skin and intestinal membranes, which are replaced every few days. Even bones and joints, which we tend to think of as solid and unchanging, are being continually broken down and rebuilt.

Researchers have suggested that everything in the body is completely replaced at least once every seven years. How long could you keep a car running if you replaced every part of it at least once every seven years? You’d literally be able to keep that car going forever. So, part of the reason the body ages is it doesn’t have the raw materials to keep up with necessary repairs and maintenance.

Nutrition and Aging
When we eat, we are not only providing fuel for the body’s operation, we’re also supplying the raw materials the body needs to perform its routine maintenance. Calories are an indication of the amount of potential energy found in food, but nutritional density is the indication of the amount of raw materials (nutrients) present for building tissues and repairing damage. Eating food that is high in calories, but low in nutritional density is the biggest cause of the chronic and degenerative disease we associate with premature aging.

The late Dr. Bernard Jensen, a pioneer in the field of natural healing, talked about the fallacy of trying to replace blood, bones, joints, muscles and brain cells with foods like jelly donuts, soda, French fries and cheeseburgers. These empty calorie or junk foods simply don’t supply enough vitamins, minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids and other nutrients. But, people eat these foods and then wonder why their joints break down, their immune system malfunctions, their blood vessels become clogged and their memory deteriorates. Then they expect some chemical drug to fix their arthritic joints, their autoimmune diseases or cancer, their heart attacks or strokes, or their Alzheimer’s or dementia. But, these drugs don’t supply the nutrients missing from their diets.

The Sad Truth
Chronic illness develops slowly over decades and there are plenty of early warning signs that the body is starting to break down. Digestive upset, constipation, minor aches and pains, headaches, weight gain and decreasing energy levels are not just a part of normal life. They are signs of ill health and poor lifestyle choices. They indicate that the body isn’t getting what it needs to repair the tissues that are being broken down.
Sadly, most people try to suppress these early warning signs with symptom-relieving drugs instead of improving their nutrition and working to reduce the unnecessary wear and tear on their body from chemicals, toxins, lack of sleep. lack of exercise, stress and other poor lifestyle choices. So, we should stop calling our modern medical system, a health care system and call it what it really is, a disease care system. A true health care system would focus on doing what we need to do to stay healthy in the first place.

Anti-Aging Health Care
So, with this in mind, let’s look at a seven point program for staying metabolically young. These are true health care tips.

1. Keep your blood sugar stable
The excessive consumption of simple carbohydrates leads to high levels of insulin in the blood, a condition known as hyperinsulinemia or metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a fundamental imbalance in body function that leads to the development of excess weight, diabetes, heart disease, chronic inflammation (like arthritis), breakdown of brain cells and other chronic and degenerative diseases.
To combat this, avoid simple carbohydrates like refined sugar, white flour and polished rice. Eat only small portions of whole grains and natural sweeteners. If you experience sugar cravings, try taking Super Algae and licorice root, two capsules of each at breakfast, two more at lunch, and two more in mid-afternoon if you start to experience a slump. An imbalance of gut bacteria can also cause sugar cravings and Berberine IR can help balance gut flora to reduce sugar cravings.

2. Eat nutritionally dense food
As we have already indicated, nutritional density is critical to health. Eat foods that are high in nutrients (vitamins, minerals, etc.) but low in calories. This means making vegetables the bulk of the diet, along with some whole fruits. These foods supply antioxidant nutrients that reduce inflammation and counteract the wear and tear processes on the body.
ft’s also important to avoid refined vegetable oils, deep-fried foods and the trans fats in processed foods. Instead, eat natural fats like butter and cream from grass-fed cows, avocados, nuts and coconut oil and a fatty acid supplement like Super Omega-3 EPA.

3. Avoid chemicals and chemical additives
Chemicals place a burden on the body because it requires extra nutrition for the body to get rid of them or detoxify. So, as much as possible avoid processed foods containing chemical additives and use natural personal care and household cleaning products. Minimize your exposure to pesticides and other agricultural chemicals by eating organically-grown food wherever possible. (see Detox suggestions here)

4. Drink plenty of pure water
As people age, they tend to become increasingly dehydrated. This dehydration prevents adequate detoxification and lubrication of tissues. It contributes to increasing pain, stiffness, problems with joints, constipation, respiratory weakness and numerous other health problems. For optimal health, drink about ½ ounce of water per pound of body weight every day, and be sure to include a little bit of natural salt with that water.

5. Balance rest and exercise
Both physical activity and rest are essential to health. So, it’s important to stay physically active, especially as we get older. Moderate physical activity such as taking a walk, riding a bicycle, swimming, stretching or weight lifting several times a week helps maintain a healthy weight, muscle mass, blood sugar and mood.
It is natural to slow down a little as we get older. So, getting a good night’s sleep and resting when tired is also important for health. If you’re having trouble sleeping, formulas like Nervous Fatigue Formula may help.

6. Keep a positive attitude
Stress is an unavoidable part of life and as people grow older their unresolved emotional issues and increasingly negative thought processes can rob them of interest in life (Mood Elevator TCM is an excellent mood boosting formula).
It’s very important to make time for pleasurable, stress-relieving experiences, such as getting a massage or a foot rub, taking a walk in nature, listening to beautiful music, and other activities that engage the body and the senses in a pleasant way.
It’s also important to maintain interests in life. People who stay young think positively about their health, and are always engaged in new and interesting things. Studying something new keeps the brain flexible. Having hobbies, interesting activities and good relationships with friends and family is a critical part of staying metabolically young.

7. Use appropriate supplements
Even if you are eating a healthy diet, it can be helpful to use appropriate herbs and supplements as some extra health insurance. Adaptogens are very good supplements to help reduce metabolic age. Most traditional cultures use herbs like American ginseng, Korean ginseng. astragalus, cordyceps, and eleuthero root to help relieve stress and keep the body functioning more efficiently. A great adaptogenic formula is Mineral Chi Tonic, which also supplies critical trace minerals.
Also helpful are supplements that help protect the brain and nervous system. Brain Protex can be helpful for protecting the brain from oxidative damage and Mind Max can improve cognition and memory as people grow older. These are just a few examples of the many products that can help keep your body metabolically young as you chronologically age.