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The following article was published in Your Health Magazine. Our mission is to empower people to live healthier.
Alan S. Weiss, MD
Aging Gracefully: What You Can Do About It
Annapolis Integrative Medicine
. http://www.annapolisintegrativemedicine.com/

Aging Gracefully: What You Can Do About It

Aging Gracefully: What You Can Do About It

Time marches on and there is not anything we can do about that. But there is a difference between chronological age (how many years you’ve been on the earth) and biological age. Another way of thinking of biological age is how old (or young) you look and feel for your age. And while nothing beats having good genes, there are definitely steps you can take to avoid or slow down the ravages of time.

First and foremost is getting good restorative sleep. Over time we develop habits and patterns of sleep that may  not promote health. Poor sleep quality negatively impacts our brain health, immune system and cardiovascular health and is a major risk factor for developing dementia. The onset of menopause and its male equivalent “andropause” are notorious for causing sleep disruption. Overuse of caffeine, cutting back time allotted for sleep, using medications and alcohol to get to sleep, and not diagnosing or even ignoring  medical sleep disorders such as sleep apnea are all issues to consider and to discuss with a physician,

Next is diet. As we get older we become less able to manage sugar and easily digested simple carbohydrates as found in breads and pastas, as well as other grains and some fruits. We tend to become somewhat insulin resistant, which creates a vicious circle of obesity causing more insulin resistance and inflammation, etc.

Many people who are overweight, inflamed or just don’t feel well find that they really are just eating too many calories or simply the wrong kind. Educating yourself on the right way to eat (versus the SAD – standard American diet) can be both enlightening and life-changing. One way to gauge your body’s metabolic activities is to have your doctor check your c-reactive protein level to measure inflammation, and if blood sugar is an issue, consider having a glucose tolerance test and check insulin levels.

Evaluating and optimizing hormone status can be instrumental in maintaining youth. Areas to focus on are thyroid issues which can produce fatigue and dulling. A phenomenon called “adrenal fatigue” is becoming more recognized as a real issue and testing and treating this can make a big difference for people. Optimizing hormone levels in men and women (testosterone, estrogen and progesterone) can afford great changes in energy and vitality.

The health and functioning of our gastrointestinal tract is critical to our aging well. You simply cannot be well or age optimally if you have an digestive issue. Signs that you have a problem are chronic diarrhea, constipation, bloating, discomfort with eating, heartburn or pain in your abdomen. While some people have very difficult issues to deal with like inflammatory bowel disease, many people are afflicted with what are called functional bowel issues such as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and leaky gut that are easily remedied when under the right care.

Finally, working on maintaining and improving physical health is critical and if you don’t do that chances are you will not age as well. The areas to focus on are cardiovascular/aerobic health, strength, balance, and flexibility. People often focus on one or two of these areas but not all. Putting in the time and effort (safely) will pay off; ignore this at your own peril! And for those of you waiting to feel like exercising, please consider that is unlikely to happen, so just do it anyway.

Being evaluated and treated by a doctor trained in functional and integrative medicine can support you in uncovering and treating issues that will then allow you to age gracefully and lead an active and fulfilling life as long as possible.

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