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Anti-Aging-can we make a difference?

By Shelly Weber Krahn, L.Ac

Feb 18, 2013 (revisited blog)

Part 1

So many areas of health can affect us throughout our lives, but aging seems to be kind of unavoidable.

The  real question is… does our health and quality of life have to decline so fast or badly? This goes more than skin deep. Can we  help reverse the aging” process? There are so many products on the market that are marketed as “anti-aging” products or foods.

I believe it comes down to the good choices we make in this life….the earlier the better.

As close to birth as possible would be a good time to start this, but even today is not too late.

As toddlers, there may be some challenges and traumas, due to lack of coordination, so we fall a lot!

Then, as we are maturing, our decision-making skills can come into question.

Things such as:

Who do we decide to spend time with? What do we do with that time?

Do we work hard for good grades in school? Which food and drinks do we consume?

Are we trying drugs? Are we getting enough sleep?

Over-thinking everything we do? Do we see the glass half empty or half full?

However, good decision-making skills seem to change with the information given us.

Back in the 20’s and 40’s cigarette smoking was endorsed by doctors as being acceptable, if not healthy. (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/07/business/media/07adco.html)

People ate sugar products on a regular basis, with no understanding of diabetes!

We, of course, had no idea that those choices were going to harm us later.

Many of today’s dietary choices: Vegetarian, vegan, Macrobiotic, Pritikin, Paleo, would not have been considered good options.

There’s a learning curve.  The doctors, of that time, due to lack of scientific data and nutritional studies, had no idea what they were perpetuating.

However, if we advance to present day, we know that some of those things endorsed in the 30’s, into the 70’s, have proven very damaging, if not fatal.

The health and medical field are still learning what is considered good for us and what’s not.

Some states in the U.S have better availability for fresh organic produce and less preservative-rich foods, which gives them a jump on staying healthy….If they make the choice to do so. ( Genetically modified foods are another problem that will be discussed later.)

Fresh assorted vegetables in boxes on farmer’s market

Today we have information coming out on foods, that we’d thought were good for us, such as whole and refined grains, (including wheat), that many are now finding problematic!

Grains have always been at the top of the food chain, until now, where some are being called into question.

The movement from Wonder Bread to Roman meal was a big thing in my youth. Mom was very progressively health oriented (my sister and I thought) by choosing whole wheat bread, and for cereal, she would pick Raisin Bran, Grape Nuts over Lucky Charms.

Now we hear things like… “Gluten intolerance or gluten sensitivity”, if you haven’t heard this term yet, you might wonder… what the heck is that? (Stay tuned for my third blog post where I’ll address gluten and its’ possible inflammatory effects!)

So back to the original question….does everything have to get so bad with age? Good question.

Technically, it comes down to our body’s cells, or more specifically, how well they turn over and renew. This cell renewal process continuing is the main concern.

So what can help?

The way that I see it, it basically comes down to some key factors that have to do with BODY, MIND and SPIRIT….

If we address the body first, most folks realize that diet, or what we put into our bodies on a regular basis, is important. There are some levels to this however. For instance, are you eating only organic produce?

If not, you should know that pesticides aren’t metabolized by the body, and they can cause internal inflammation, leading to tissue damage, which stresses our systems, therefore aging us faster.

How about tap water? Is this your daily source of water? There are some areas with better drinking water than others, and you can get a report from your water authority and see exactly what is in there. Some reports can be a bit scary to see.

Considering how much “treatment” goes into our drinking water, (to deem it “safe and drinkable,”) your best bet is to drink reverse osmosis, to greatly reduce contaminants.

Some purified waters are better than others, check what “purified” means to Arrowhead (for example) by going to their website for a report.

A little information about water…it’s normal Ph is 7 (which is neutral.) With so many of the foods consumed creating an internal acid state (acidosis), we need a higher intake of alkaline containing foods, (as well as neutral water) to balance the equation.

Most of these alkaline containing foods will be found in organic fresh vegetables and fruits.

Too much acidity in the diet, can also create inflammation internally, which stresses our systems, thereby aging us further.

Balance is crucial to our overall health and youthfulness!

Please look for Part 2 if you’d like to hear more on the effects of foods, as well as how to change some of your mental/emotional aspects to Stay younger longer!

Contact Shelly today to learn more about how to create more health and vitality in your life. To set up your appointment please call (760) 419-6863.

About Shelly Tompkins

Shelly Tompkins, L.Ac, C.F.M.P is a renowned women’s health, fertility & wellness expert and licensed acupuncturist, herbalist and functional medicine practitioner in private practice in San Diego, CA. She has extensive training and experience and has been in private practice for 35+ years and also taught at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine for 24 of those years. Shelly has worked with thousands of women, from puberty through senior years, to find answers and solutions to their overall health and hormone imbalances and more.

Her practice includes the use of laboratory testing to be able to find the answers to many of the health issues experienced in women and men. Through these labs, health history, and other tests, the assessments not only give answers, but ways to treat the body as a whole, so it works in its best capacity for healing.

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