Slowing the hands of time is within your grasp, but safeguarding your health means taking steps to provide your body with the anti-aging nutrients it needs. Included in those steps is regular testing to check for cholesterol levels and inflammation — the root of many diseases, including those of aging. My report "Stop Aging Naturally" will give more in-depth ways to slow the relentless march of time.
The following five guidelines will help protect you against frailty:
Eat a Healthy Diet. A healthy diet is the foundation for all health. Just taking supplements cannot overcome a bad diet. Refer to my previous newsletters on diet and health for details, but basically this means drinking purified water, drinking white tea, avoiding fluoride, eating at least 10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, avoiding excess grains, eating low-glycemic foods, and avoiding glutamate food additives and artificial sweeteners.
Correct Hormone Imbalances. As we age, many of our hormones fall out of balance. Testosterone, DHEA, the estrogens, progesterone, growth hormone, thyroid hormone, and melatonin are reduced, and cortisol increases. It is important to get hormone testing.
Testing for the sex hormones should include the sex-hormone binding proteins as well as the levels of all types of reproductive hormones. The idea in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is to return levels to those found at age 30. This means that one month after starting replacement, you should have your test repeated to make adjustments.
High levels of many of these hormones are harmful. You should receive HRT only from a person who is an expert in natural hormone replacement.
Check for Inflammation. The easiest test for inflammation is an hsCRP (high sensitivity C-reactive protein), which is relatively accurate, but not absolute. One can also get tested for cytokines such as TNF-alpha, IL-1ß, IL-10, TGF-1ß, and IL-4, which gives an idea of the inflammatory/anti-inflammatory balance. These are available only through special labs.
Monitor Lipid Profile. While cholesterol is not the primary cause for atherosclerosis, it should be within a healthy range. In my opinion, cholesterol levels should be in the range of 220 to 260 mg/dl for those over the age of 65. LDL-typing should be done to determine the ratio of small-particle versus large-particle LDL. For the latest information on how to protect your heart, see my report "New Heart Revelations."
HDL-cholesterol is not always a “good cholesterol” as I have discussed previously. Most important are lipoprotein (a), homocysteine, hsCRP, and fibrinogen levels. Triglyceride levels are also important and can be lowered by reducing sugar and high glycemic carbohydrate intake. Remember, the No. 1 cause for elevated cholesterol is low thyroid function — get your thyroid tested.
Supplement With a Multivitamin/Mineral. A good multivitamin/mineral supplement assures that you are getting all of your basic nutrients in balance. My special report "Key Vitamins that Save Your Heart, Prevent Cancer and Keep You Living Long" will give you all the details.
Next week we will discuss special supplements that are rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients that will help you in your battle to remain agile and healthy as you age.
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