anti-aging-related stories
Men's Over-40 Holiday Workout
Fitness, Men's Health, Fit After 40
If nothing else, the holidays are fraught with stay-in-shape obstacles. All those days off, family dinners and work parties can make it close to impossible to maintain your post-40 battle against belly fat and man boobs. The solution: This quick, do anywhere, high-intensity circuit exclusively created for That's Fit by Mark Stallman, a personal trainer at Chelsea Sportscenter in New York City. "Do it at the gym, in your den, on the road in your hotel room – just do it," said Stallman. Aim for three times a week to help you maintain testosterone levels, build muscle and bone density, stay loose and keep your engine humming at high all season long.
You'll need: A pair of 10-25-pound dumbbells and a jump rope.
The goal is to complete the circuit with no rests in between. Except for the planks, do 12-15 reps of each move. If you need to take a breather, try to keep it to no more than 30 seconds so your heart rate stays elevated. Then do it two or three more times; whatever you can finish in 30 minutes. Take no more than one minute in between rounds.
Paula Radcliffe Says She Gets Better with Age
Derartu Tulu with Paula Radcliffe at the finish line of the ING New York City Marathon Photo: Mike Stobe, Getty Images
Conventional thought has us believing the aging process is all downhill, but not so according to three-time ING New York City Marathon winner Paula Radcliffe. "In some ways you get better with age," she told BBC Sport last week. "Things like endurance and mental strength, if anything, get stronger."
On the eve of her thirty-sixth birthday, Radcliffe managed to place fourth yesterday in the race's fortieth running despite inflammation in her right hamstring that had her sidelined for two weeks leading up to the event. Meb Keflezighi, the men's winner is 34. The women's race was won by 37 year-old Ethiopian Derartu Tulu.
Get More Energy: Five Tibetan Rites Giveaway
Obsession with youth is not only the plague of modern society. In the 1930s, a retired British army officer stumbled upon a remote monastery in the Himalayas where the monks were rumored to have found the fountain of youth. Amazed by their age-defying health and energy, he attributed their vitality to a series of yoga-like postures they practiced daily – as had generations of monks for thousands of years. These Five Tibetan Rites are believed to work by stimulating and balancing energy centers in our bodies called chakras that correspond to each of our endocrine glands. "They're like electricity transformers, receiving and regulating energy and transmitting it throughout the body," explains Sydney-based Carolinda Witt, who's been teaching the rites for more than seven years.
Witt says practicing The Five Rites is like flicking these energy switches to ON. And they're easy to do. In fact, she's made modifications that focus on breathing and building core strength so you don't have to be a veteran yogini to get yourself, well, turned on. Plus, it's yoga, so you'll create a leaner, stronger body! Start with three repetitions of each posture daily and in order. Add two per week until you're doing 21 in about 10 minutes. When you finish each move, pause and take three energy breaths. The directions are below.
Rite #1: Spinning
Harmonizes chakra spin rates. Improves balance, focus and coordination.
Rite #2: Modified Leg Raise
Strengthens and tones the core, hips, lower back, legs and neck.
Look Younger Naturally - 25 Tips This Week on AOL Health
Fitness, Alternative & Green Health
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| Photo: jupiterimages |
Keep Your Skin as Toned as Your Body
Nutrition & Supplements, Fit After 40
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| Photo: Laurel Fan/Flickr |
- Spinach has folate which speeds up cell renewal. Translation: It acts like an inner exfoliant. New, young cells make your skin look younger.
- Oranges, bell peppers and kiwi are loaded with Vitamin C, which boosts collagen production and smooths out wrinkles. Other vegetables and fruits include sweet potatoes, lemons and limes.
- Canned tuna's loaded with selenium, a mineral that preserves elastin, a protein that keeps skin smooth and tight. It's also an antioxidant that buffers against damaging UV rays.
- Walnuts, salmon and flax seed are brimming with omega-3 fatty acids that have anti-inflammatory properties which reduce puffiness.
Try this: Salmon, carrot, tomato spinach stir fry. Throw all the ingredients into a wok or sauté pan with your favorite spices and a teaspoon of olive oil. For more skin-firming recipes, contact Berman at jberman@sfbayclub.com.
Want to cook up another stir fry? Try tofu, spinach and okra for a light, skin-friendly meal.
Beautiful Foods
Reviews & Products, Nutrition & Supplements
Has anyone else noticed a preponderance in the number of TV commercials pushing antioxidants? Every other beauty product is "infused with the power of antioxidants," and every new juice on the market has also harnessed the healing powers. I mean, even if you're not one to jump on the newest health and beauty trends, you've got to be wondering what antioxidants can do for you.
And I've got the answer -- a lot. Dr. Leslie Baumann, a leading global expert in dermatology, wrote in her most recent Skin Type Solutions newsletter that, in addition to preventing "heart disease, liver disease and certain forms of cancer, they may also offer some protection against neuro-degenerative conditions like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. And if these aren't good enough reasons to convince you to start guzzling the pomegranate juice, I can also give you another one: Antioxidants also help prevent wrinkles."Basically, antioxidants help protect against free radicals, which cause damage inside and out and contribute to premature aging of the skin. (To be clear: While antioxidants can prevent further damage, they won't remove existing wrinkles). But, as Baumann says, there are plenty of ways to get these protective antioxidants, both orally and topically.
Explore your anti-aging options
Healthy Aging, Womens Health, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health
While it may be somewhat apocryphal, the legend has it that Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon traveled to Florida in search of the Fountain of Youth. And though he was more likely there to search for gold and expand the Spanish empire, the story of vitality-restoring water is one that continues to intrigue us to this day.This is not surprising, considering that even people today are still searching for an elixir of eternal youth. Some turn to plastic surgery and injections of botulism (also known as Botox), while others dole out thousands of dollars at so-called "anti-aging" centers to undergo hormone replacement therapy. I honestly pass no judgment on either group; to each their own is what I say. However, it's still worth mentioning that there are natural and safe ways to slow down the hands of time, and none of them require going under the knife or sailing a Spanish galleon across the Atlantic.
- Eat fish once a week -- Researchers from the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago found that doing so can slow age-related cognitive decline by 10 percent
- Stop smoking -- Aside from the more obvious harm it causes your lungs, smoking also triples your chances of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), says a study from Cambridge University.
- Stay active -- A study from Rutgers University revealed that inactivity in older age is one of the major modifiable lifestyle factors that increased the likelihood of being placed in a nursing home over the next twenty years.
Life Fit Chat with Laura Lewis: Hyaluronic Acid and Anti-Aging!
Life Fit Chat with That's Fit Life Fit Expert Laura Lewis brings conversation provoking tidbits to your table, served up with a touch of spice! Byte-sized information that pack some punch, brought to you every Wednesday and Thursday!ABC News aired a show entitled, The Village of Long Life: Could Hyaluronic Acid Be an Anti-Aging Remedy? This episode explored a "fountain of youth" phenomenon occurring in a small village called Yuzuri Hara that is two hours outside of Tokyo. In Yuzuri Hara, it is not at all unusual for villagers to live well into their nineties. But it is not their old age that has researchers so intrigued, it is their vibrant health, radiant skin and almost no occurrence of disease that has piqued interest. Medical researchers believe the secret of Yazuri Hara is the local diet. Whereas most regions in Japan are conducive to farming rice, Yuzuri Hara's hilly terrain is more conducive to farming different carbohydrates that may prove healthier such as satsumaimo, a type of sweet potato; satoimo, a sticky white potato; konyaku, a gelatinous root vegetable concoction; and imoji, a potato root.
The village doctor, Dr. Toyosuke Komori, believes these locally grown starches help stimulate the body's natural production of a substance called hyaluronic acid (also called hyaluronan or HA). As we age, our bodies typically stop producing hyaluronic acid naturally. Research suggests that hyaluronic acid may ward off the aging process by helping the cells of the body thrive and retain moisture, keeping joints lubricated, protecting the retina in eyes and keeping skin smooth and elastic.
I have been taking HA supplements and have been thrilled with the results. My skin is responding by feeling and looking more youthful and hydrated, and my joints feel more flexible. Of course, like anything, consult your doctor before taking any new supplements.
Life Fit Chat with Laura Lewis: 14 Aging Enemies
Life Fit Chat with That's Fit Life Fit Expert Laura Lewis brings conversation provoking tidbits to your table, served up with a touch of spice! Byte-sized information that pack some punch, brought to you every Wednesday and Thursday!Genetic imperfections. We all have them. From stretch marks to cellulite, we can all look at our parents and see a little of ourselves in them. While you may not be able to control your hand-me-down genes, you actually can control how they impact how fantastic (or not) you strut your stuff in your sexy jeans.
Your physiological reality is actually less about what genes you have inherited and more about how you express them through your lifestyle choices. Genes function by generating proteins, but whether or not a particular gene is turned on or off is actually based on how we utilize them. For example, exercise burns fat, but it also alters the expression of our genetic codes to decrease the risk of developing cancer.
There are several ways we can alter the function of our genes. One way is by altering our telomeres, which are the protective coverings of our chromosomes. When our telomeres have been damaged, by poor lifestyle choices, our DNA begins to shred, which causes age-related conditions like memory loss. Learning how to more effectively manage stress will not only make you feel better but will also repair the damaged telomeres. Check out these 14 major agers and learn what you can do to fight the aging process. Remember, it's not the genes you inherited that matter, but how you express them! So ... go express yourself positively and stay young!
Anti-aging food: Pigs' feet?
Diet & Weight Loss, Alternative & Green Health, Nutrition & Supplements
If you're looking for yet another food to help turn back the clock, pigs' feet seem to be the latest craze (for one hot spot in New York at least). A Japanese eatery serves the pig paws with nearly 85 percent of their dishes! Why? For the collagen of course.If you've heard of the stuff before, it's also a powerful cosmetic product used for injections. But not everyone is privy to its use in a diet. According to the owner these collagen-rich feet provide a dietary solution that makes your skin, hair and muscle tone look better.
Although one nutrition expert says she's never heard of something like that. It certainly seems like pigs' feet may have some unusual benefits attached, but one dietitian urges people to remember meat. Protein is important (even from nuts) because that's what our cells use to build and restore our bodies with. But hey -- next time you have an option for pigs' feet you'll know they can't be bad for you!
Battle back against age-related testosterone decline
Healthy Aging, HealthWatch, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Motivation, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health
Generally speaking, testosterone levels in men begin to decline by about 2-3 percent per year starting around the age of thirty. Those numbers are not written in stone, but they are fairly accurate in most cases. As a result, body fat increases, muscle mass decreases, and even libido can be affected over time. It's a naturally occurring process, possibly as a protective measure against the increased risk of developing prostate cancer. Be that as it may, most men still aren't all that thrilled at the idea of gaining weight, losing muscle, and experiencing a diminished sex drive. Making matters worse, the first two of the three negative effects I just mentioned can also have a separate and equally as damaging effect on your cardiac health.
Are there ways to increase your testosterone levels? Yes, there are. Are they safe? Some yes and some are probably not safe at all. In fact, we'll start with those. Despite the fact that there are several "anti-aging" centers springing up around the country, claiming that their use of controlled HGH (human growth hormone) injections can almost reverse the aging process, they are unregulated and the safety of their methods remain highly debated. My two cents? Err waaaaaay on the side of caution on this one -- stay away from HGH injections or supplements. Until more studies are conducted, and until more R & D is done on the synthetic HGH products some of these "anti-aging" clinic doctors are pushing, I suggest that you avoid it like the plague.
Moving right along ...
Can acupuncture reduce wrinkles?
Diet & Weight Loss, Alternative & Green Health
Plenty of men and women have turned to needles to slow the signs of aging (think Botox), but a method known as an acupuncture face lift or cosmetic acupuncture is drawing in customers who don't want surgery or chemicals, but are still seeking a younger look.Facial acupuncture follows the same principles of conventional acupuncture and practitioners attempt to reduce muscle tension and unblock trapped qi that may be causing facial wrinkles. Whether it works or not has not been scientifically proven, but thanks to a growing interest in alternative treatments and youthful growing skin, the expensive treatments are gaining in popularity.
If I were to try an anti-aging procedure (and that's a very big if), I'd go for acupuncture before Botox. What about you?
The Daily Turn On! Memory Loss Doesn't Mean the Worst - How to Stay Sharp
Life is too short not to be fully "tuned in." The Daily Turn On! is designed to wake up your senses, all six of them: smell, taste, touch, hearing, sight and intuition! Everyday The Daily Turn On! with That's Fit Life Fit expert Laura Lewis will awaken your mind, your body and your life!
Did you know ... While you cannot prevent the aging process, you certainly can put it on the slow track. Have you ever heard the saying, "If you think you are going crazy, you're not"? Apparently, the same holds true for Alzheimer disease.
In the article, Tricks To Delay Alzheimer's, by Catherine Censor, Lisa D. Ravdin, Ph.D., Director, Cornell Neuropsychology Service, Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York explains, "The signs of early Alzheimer's are typically noticed by other people. Early Alzheimer's is marked by repetitive speech, forgetting important events, an inability to manage medications, and difficulty finding one's way around familiar places (like getting lost on the way home from the supermarket). If you think you have it, you probably don't." Good news! So how do we get proactive in preventing the aging process?
You may not be surprised to learn that diet, exercise and mental stimulation are the keys to a healthy brain. If it is good for your body, it is good for your brain. So what is the secret to sipping at the fountain of youth?
For starters, find mentally stimulating activities that you enjoy. Enjoy is the key word here. According to Ravdin, if you do not enjoy the activities then your actions will be in vain. Television shows that challenge you mentally; crossword puzzles; games of strategy like chess or golf; learning a new language; learning an instrument--these are all great examples of mentally stimulating activities that will keep new neurons firing in your brain.
Second, exercise your body to exercise your brain. "If it's good for the heart, it's good for the brain," says Ravdin. "What we thought of as risk factors for cardiovascular disease turn out to be risk factors for cognitive decline as well."
And lastly, eat a diet rich in antioxidants. Colorful fruits and vegetables are packed full of these healthy molecules that combat damaging free radicals in the body. Antioxidants are important ingredients in the anti-aging formula.
So if you want to sip at the fountain of youth ... Eat well. Exercise often. Flex your brain muscles!
Awaken your senses ... Live a fit life!
"Do it yourself at home!" skin care technology: Worth all the hype?
Reviews & Products, Alternative & Green Health
Inventors and scientists are going crazy anymore inventing new technology for skin care, beauty, and anti-aging. And although devices like lasers are generally used first by doctors and dermatologists in a professional office setting, eventually the technology trickles its way down to us consumers in a "do it yourself in the comfort of your own home" version.But are these at home versions just as safe and effective as the professional ones? The answers to those questions are usually, and of course not. They aren't going to be as effective because they're almost always a toned down and weaker version of what would be used in an office setting -- think OTC versus prescription medication. But the good news is that they are generally safe for that same reason, and if you only have a mild condition that you're trying to treat then a mildly effective product might be just what you need.
The key to looking younger could lie in your sex life
That's not to say that you should start being promiscuous -- that holds a whole new set of problems, and the study really only connects beneficial results to couples in long-term, stable relationships. Still, if you're in a relationship, here's one less reason to use to 'I've got a headache' excuse, and it you don't have to spend an arm and a leg on fancy anti-aging creams with lofty promises.
