By Julie Alvira, MD, MBA
Aging is part of human nature. We are all going to go through the process but it’s best to enjoy and educate ourselves on how to make aging as healthy as possible. Focusing on just looks is only looking at it from one angle. Our health, emotions, feelings about aging, and the activities we get involve in, are other aspects of the aging process as well.
The aging process
It’s not just about wrinkles! Genetics tell us that inside our cells are chromosomes. They have a little part at their end called telomeres. Each time a cell divides, the telomeres get shorter and if they get too short, they can no longer divide and eventually die. But let’s not get too scientific here. What we need to know is that old cells do not function the same as younger ones. Eventually, old cells die while others are programmed to die by a mechanism called apoptosis, which is triggered by several factors. According to Dr. Besdine from The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, some factors that trigger apoptosis can be: damage from sunlight, harmful substances, and chemotherapy. Some cells can also be damaged by free radicals.
Our bodies are machines that work all the time converting food into energy. From these natural processes and the chemical reactions involved, free radicals are generated. According to Harvard University they can also be formed from the food a person eats, the air we breathe, and the sunlight’s action on our skin and eyes. Once these free radicals become damaged, they hunt for healthy cells and try to injure them by attacking their DNA. After this free radical damage occurs, the injured cell can cause a basis for disease. So not just one cell is damaged, many are––like a chain reaction. Fortunately, our bodies are equipped with antioxidants that fight free radicals and cut down the chain reaction.
Other processes that contribute to aging and also affect our DNA are: oxidative stress (damage by substances containing oxygen) and glycation (damage by glucose sugar).
Body changes
Men and women’s bodies undergo changes that take a toll on the appearance and health. Some of these changes are:
- decreased bone density
- decreased organ functions
- decreased ability to handle stress
- eye sight changes
- decreased growth hormone that leads to changes in body composition with a decrease in muscle mass and increase in body fat with subsequently decline in metabolism
- decreased skin elasticity, which makes the skin become thinner and dryer
- decrease in nerve cells and mental functions
- decreased elasticity of blood vessels
- prostate gland enlargement in men
- decreased sex hormone levels in men and women
Anti-aging medicine and lifestyle
Let’s start by mentioning what the field of anti-aging medicine does. According to the American Academy of Anti-aging Medicine, it’s based on a medical model that is in continuous research and follows the detection, prevention, treatment, and reversal of age-related conditions. It also promotes the extension of health and life by helping with improvements in exercise, nutrition, and single-gene modulation.
Since our bodies change as we age, it’s suggested that our lifestyles change as well by taking care of ourselves more by maintaining or creating healthier habits. Some tips from Harvard Health and dermatologists include: protect skin with sunscreen that is SPF 30 or above, keep showers short, do not use hot water on your body or face (use lukewarm), moisturize, quit smoking, wash face in the morning only with water and moisturize while skin is wet, sleep at least eight hours each night because key hormones are released during the late stage sleep, increase physical activity and exercise to increase strength (a good suggestion is resistance training), reduce inflammatory foods like packaged, processed, sugary, etc., reduce sodium and increase potassium rich foods, load up on antioxidant rich foods, and consume lean proteins and a variety of vegetables. Another good suggestion is to control portions and eat healthy every three to four hours (three meals and two snacks each day) to keep your metabolism going.
Julie Alvira, M.D., MBA Healthcare Management creator of AJBodysculpt. www.ajbodysculpt. com. A health, wellness, and fitness platform that provides you with the necessary tools to get into a healthier lifestyle. Julie is a Personal Trainer/ Sport Nutrition Specialist/Health & Wellness Speaker/ Corporate Wellness Consulting/Addictions Recovery Coaching/Writer for Magazines in the US and Puerto Rico. You can see her fitness videos in Youtube: AJBodySculpt. Contact: julie@ajbodysculpt.com.
