Fighting age - Vanity or vanguard of health?
Michael A Meyer
As all of us baby boomers are getting older, we strive to keep ourselves together, our limbs supple and to do our best not to look as ancient as Methuselah.
Seeking the fountain of youth is not a bad pursuit, as old age normally signifies not only poor health, but also very little enjoyment and make us look old and jaded.
Some people may complain that people that try to look as young as possible are vain, but it is not so much vanity, as a desire to enjoy the rest of our years on earth.
A whole variety of supplements, potions and creams are touted - and range from animal secretions to dangerous medical injections. While all of this may have benefit in certain areas, a more holistic approach may be a better route to consider.
While supplements are a great way to ensure that the body is properly nourished, special attention should be given to plain and humble compounds that are collectively classed as anti-oxidants.
While your body needs free radicals for certain vital functions, an over-abundance of these oxidizing agents can have a negative, degenerative and aging effect on most systems of the body - and if your looks are important to you, take note that they play havoc on your skin as well.
Free radicals can be caused by various activities and "things" - hard exercise, smoking cigarettes, eating fried foods, living in a heavily polluted area, too little sleep, too much stress (does any of this sound familiar?) etc. Although the body can cope with a certain amount of free radicals and keep a redox balance, an excess simply places too much stress on the body, and it is then unable to cope.
Your food intake is the best source of natural anti-oxidants - and a simple rule would be to look at taking in fresh fruits, eaten raw and unprocessed.
One problem that exists is that some people only look at one antioxidant - take vitamin C for instance, and use that as a cure-all for their antioxidant needs - while the truth really is that a variety of antioxidants should be taken to supply a balanced array of them to the body.
Please do not take me wrong - I am a great supporter of vitamin C, and without it I would have had a far lower quality of life, but would just like to point out that a more balanced view must be considered.
Another fad that took the world by storm is that of taking proanthocyanidins for all ills (from pine bark and grape seeds) - and while I do not doubt that they have great qualities, they should once again be taken with other antioxidant compounds to be fully effective.
A good mix of antioxidants in your diet should contain the following, and we listed some good food sources after each one.
- Vitamin A (beta-carotene) - Liver, milk products, egg yolk, carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe (spanspek), dried apricots
- Vitamin C - Broccoli, guavas, strawberries, cauliflower, lemons, oranges
- Vitamin E - Wheat germ and wheatgerm oil, sunflower oil, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, tomatoes, avocado, blackberries, mangos
- Selenium - Grains and onions
- Co-Enzyme Q 10 - Beef, soy, mackerel, sardines, spinach, peanuts, soybeans, vegetable oil
- Procyanidolic oligomers - Pine bark, yet grape seeds contain a higher percentage of Procyanidolic oligomers
- Bioflavonoids - Citrus fruits, blackcurrants, spinach, bell peppers, onions, green tea.
It may take some planning, but if your diet contains enough of the above dietary ingredients, your food intake should be keeping your free radicals in check.
Should you consider taking an antioxidant supplement, have a look to make sure that it contains a mixed bag of ingredients, and feel free to compare it to our Zest for Life Antioxidant Formula which can be viewed at [ www.anyvitamins.com/antioxidants.htm ]
As people get older, they also suffer from constipation, and although some medical practitioners do not always see this as a huge problem, most holistic and naturopathic healers do as this contributes to the toxicity of the body, which in its turn contributes to the ageing process.
Using laxatives to rectify this problem has some potential side effects, and a more natural way should be considered to overcome this problem.
For ageless facial beauty, a good skincare regimen should be followed from an early age - which would include proper cleansing, moisturizing, and protecting the skin from the ravages of the sun. Proper nutrition, enough sleep and curtailing cigarette smoke and alcohol intake will also greatly assist.
A good skincare range, with active ingredients to moisturize and protect the skin, providing antioxidant support will be a great boon to achieving a youthful looking skin. For a well formulated range have a look at
[ www.dermaxime.com ]
To fight actual wrinkles, millions of dollars are spent on Botox injections, which immobilize the injected skin and keep it from forming wrinkles. The cosmeceutical industry would not be outdone, and a molecule was developed to achieve the same effect, without using a neurotoxin to immobilize the skin, but to act in such a way as to simply prevent the formation of wrinkles by stopping the frowning process.
It is unfortunate however, that some very large and powerful cosmetic houses now include this ingredient in their product, which they rightfully and legally claim as an ingredient, yet fail to use the correct percentage (10% inclusion rate) of the molecule in their product - as stipulated by the research and development biotech company which produces the molecule.
This practice is followed to cut costs - and who will ever think that such prestigious and well-known companies would stoop so low as to do this underhanded thing and basically defraud their clients??
To have a look at how a properly formulated cream, with the correct percentage will work, have a look at [ www.cremedevie.com ]
To keep your limbs limber, walking is a good way to push the heart rate up, and to mobilize muscles and joints that may have become stiff from years of sitting around. For some further work on your limbs, also have a look at Yoga, as this gentle form of exercise has proven to be a boost for many a person - not only to be more limber, but also to breathe better and live a fuller, better life.
Before starting any exercise program it is best to discuss it with your medical practitioner.
We trust that you found this article of use in your personal quest in beating the beast of aging.
[ www.ageless.co.za or www.anyvitamins.com ]
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