Healthy Aging

“None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.”
~ H.D. Thoreau

This is the third in a series of articles on healthy aging. It is the most requested topic for our Weekly Wellness Reports and to me, it is one of the most important topics. You see, health is not about waiting for disease to strike and then battling it. As the World Health Organization said back in 1948, health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Healthy aging
My seventh-grade teacher was an ancient fossil of man – much older than even my parents! I think he was 50. He told me a truth about aging that I have never forgotten: The only way to avoid getting old is to die young. With that in mind I found great wisdom in the words of Benjamin Franklin who said, “All would live long but none would be old.”

So, healthy aging is about living long without being old! To reach that goal we need to take a brief look at the process called “biological aging.”

Biological aging does not happen with the tick of the clock or the pages turning on your calendar; it happens in your cells. During its life cycle a cell may be damaged by exposure to:

• Toxins
• Direct trauma
• Nutrient deficiencies
• Stress

Each of these circumstances causes inflammation and free radical production. Intense nutrition is needed to battle these causes of premature cell death.

Premature biological aging occurs when more cells die than you can replace.

Fighting inflammation
The human body is designed to fight premature aging and remain young. A powerful force called homeostasis mobilizes your immune system, hormones, nerves and other important systems to ignite the healing process. Homeostasis uses focused inflammation to remodel your cells following injury, illness or even the extreme challenges of emotional stress. Once the healing process is complete, homeostasis extinguishes the fire of inflammation and returns your body to a state of dynamic and vital balance – free from the effects of runaway inflammation.

Homeostasis orchestrates the cells in your body to maintain balance under even severe conditions.

However, there are times when your body cannot heal itself. If inflammation overwhelms a cell it may be damaged beyond repair. Damaged, dead cells must be removed or they will become the focus of infection and illness. Betalains, a unique class of nutrient that is both an antioxidant and a protein, assist a special cell called a macrophage (literally “big eater”) to engulf the dead cell and eliminate it from your body. This makes room for a brand-new replacement cell and the cycle of wellness continues.

Intense nutrition
The supplements of healthy aging include four critical components:

1. A balanced multiple vitamin/mineral supplement to establish a solid foundation for healthy aging
2. An essential fatty acid supplement to nourish the arteries and rehydrate the brain
3. A Vitamin C supplement to serve as an antioxidant reserve and keep the immune system active
4. A B-12 supplement to keep the energy level up and the mind bright.

Premature aging is about losing more cells than we replace. Healthy aging is about closing the gap between loss of cells and repair or replacement of our cells as directed by homeostasis and fueled by nutrients.

Learn More…

• Living to 100
• Activity for your body and mind
• Volunteering

Upcoming Weekly Wellness Reports…

• Toxins: A Major Source of Inflammation
• Hormone Health