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OPTIMIZE YOUR HEALTH AUGUST 2006 At the Center, we believe that the secret to longevity is simple: adapt a lifestyle that optimizes every aspect of your health—mind, body, and spirit. We know that rather than working from the outside in with surgery and injections, we need to work from the inside out to outsmart cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even cancer. That is one reason why we created our annual Optimal Health conference. This year's conference, Seeking Mind / Body Balance: Essence of Integrated Health, will be held on September 23. Our issue this month addresses various aspects of aging. Please be sure to read Nurse Practitioner Sue Kim-Saechao’s excellent article on the current topic of growth hormones. We hope you are surviving the summer’s heat in style (SPF and a hat), and that we will see you at our Conference on September 23. MEDICAL NEWS
When people ask me if I do “anti-aging”, my answer is usually no, not in the way people usually think about “anti-aging”, which a lot of times is about esthetics or use of human growth hormone in individuals who are not truly deficient in growth hormone. Instead, our team here at the Center promote quality longevity, by addressing the whole person – nutrition (including appropriate supplementation), exercise, stress reduction, sleep, hormonal and sexual health in addition to identifying and reducing specific cardiovascular and cancer risk factors. Our aim is not only to prolong life expectancy, but to prolong “health expectancy”. To add quality years to our lives, we must reduce cardiovascular aging, thereby reducing heart attacks, strokes and congestive heart failure, which are major causes of morbidity and mortality. A recent study brings into focus the “anti-aging” aspect of our diabetes prevention efforts. Read more about endocrinology and longevity...
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEWS
I am staring 50 in the eye this month and I have made a sobering realization: It’s really not a very big deal. Today’s 50 is not the same as yesterday’s age 50. I remember how my grandmother looked and acted when she was in her 50’s. She used a henna rinse (hair dye had not yet been invented), had varicose veins that affected her gait (surgery was expensive and not readily available), and made comments about how she was going to die soon (she lived to be 92). Still, this birthday prompted me to ask our Center providers to write about aging and health, and mental health needs due consideration. Learn more about aging and mental health...
SEXUAL HEALTH NEWS
David Schnarch, Ph.D., is (like me) a psychologist and certified sex therapist who (unlike me) has somehow found a way to write several books (I am jealous). I wanted to share with you some of his ideas about sexual development because I sometimes refer to them in my sessions with couples and in my lectures. Dr. Schnarch makes a distinction between primary sexuality and secondary sexuality—between genital readiness for sexual activity and emotional readiness for sexual activity—and makes the observation that we have these quite confused. Read more about sexuality in older couples...
ENDOCRINE NEWS The hype and the controversy related to growth hormone (GH) and its purported anti-aging effects has been a popular topic in the media and online. People have been told GH can give weight loss without diet or exercise, increase muscle mass without exercise, give higher energy levels, enhance sexual performance, provide greater cardiac output, improve mood and motivation, increase exercise capacity & bone density, decrease body fat, give better immune & kidney function, lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol profiles, give younger skin, less wrinkles, eliminate cellulite, give hair re-growth, sharper vision, and better memory. Learn more about growth hormone...
EXERCISE NEWS
Physical activity and exercise provides some of the greatest opportunities to extend a person’s years of active and independent life, reduce disability, and improve the quality of life for mid-life and older Americans. America’s older population (65+) will more than double to about 70 million by the year 2030—and chances are that if you reading this you are part of this population. Research shows that moderate exercise can not only help you live a longer life, but can actually help you stay healthier, happier, stronger and more independent as you age. Research also shows that there are not only significant health benefits of exercise but that there are negative consequences of not exercising. Read more about benefits of exercise...
NUTRITIONAL NEWS
As we age, diet becomes increasingly important if we want to optimize our health. The effects of our nutritional status are far reaching. Most people are aware that being overweight is a risk factor for heart disease, hypertension and type II diabetes. However, many people do not realize that being overweight (BMI >25) puts us at a greater risk for cancer. The good news is that a healthful diet may truly be insurance against many chronic diseases. Read more about optimizing longevity with diet...
RECIPE OF THE MONTH Warm weather is a great time to experiment with salads. Try this Shrimp and Couscous Salad for a light, healthy meal.
SUPPLEMENT CABINET Nutrition is an essential component of our lifestyle that modulates our risk of age-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, among others. In recent years, there has been controversy about the benefits of antioxidants such as Vitamin E, Vitamin C and Beta-Carotene. Several large studies failed to show any benefits of these vitamins in cardiovascular diseases in particular, even though observational studies have documented the benefits of a diet high in antioxidants from fruits and vegetables in the prevention of heart disease and cancers. Read more about antioxidants and your health...
Alert! Alert! Big article about integrative medicine in the L.A. Times "Health" section on August 7! The exciting part for us is that The Center for Optimal Health meets all of the criteria for excellence according to the paper's "Guide to a developing field". No need to drive to San Diego, Los Angeles, or beyond. We have the highest quality integrative medicine, right here in Orange County! |
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