Preventative & Anti Ageing Medicine
At Transformational Medicine Australia, the practices of Preventative & Anti-Ageing Medicine aim to improve and maintain wellness as a means of extending the length, and improving the quality of our lives.
ANTi-AGEiNG THEORIES:
The following five anti-ageing theories can assist in increasing your longevity.
1. Inflammation theory – the Silent killer – Although inflammation is blamed for many chronic diseases, and ageing, we don’t always know what causes it. There are blood tests that measure pro-inflammatory cells, called cytokines that give you some idea of the presence of inflammation in your body. (Dr Michael Elstein, You have the Power! Why didn’t my doctor tell me about this?)
Eating bad foods, not getting enough sleep, and exposure to the sun create inflammation at a cellular level (i.e. when there’s no visible sign of inflammation.) This kind of inflammation can be responsible for many age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Cancer, and Heart disease. Eating a whole foods diet, and exercise, is a great start to minimizing inflammation. By doing so, you can curtail disease, extend life and look younger.
2. Hormonal theory – Levels of key hormones—estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), thyroid, and human growth hormone (HGH)— all drop as
we start to age. Increasing one or more of these essential biochemicals may improve health, and hinder the ageing process. However, doing so requires the careful supervision of a specialist Anti-Ageing Physician. As you modify one hormone, you affect the others. According to Anti- Ageing Physician, Dr Ronald Klatz *, hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) adjusts each hormone so you can achieve a more youthful state of the major hormones across the board. Similarly, certain foods, combinations and quantities can be used to help restore hormonal balance.
3. Antioxidant theory – Antioxidants and vitamins A, C and E protect the body’s cells and help to prevent free radical damage. Prevention of free radical damage, caused by ageing, stress, sun and pollution, in the body and the skin can avert and forestall the ageing process. A good multivitamin, or topical application that contains the antioxidant vitamins, as well as minerals is essential to help combat free radical activity. Zinc, Iron and other essential minerals also play a key role in supporting overall wellness.
4. Lifestyle theory – Our lifestyle– what we eat, drink and expose ourselves to, can influence how quickly or slowly we age. Stress increases the production of the hormone cortisol, and this can directly affect how we age. From an early age, we have the ability to make decisions and be in control of our lifestyle, which will determine how fast we age. Stress and how we deal with it plays a key role in how we age. The ‘flight-or-fight” response increases production of the ‘stress-hormone’ cortisol, which has been identified as an age accelerator. Not only does
it impact on hormones and skin ageing, but it also makes us gain body fat, lose muscle mass and memory. Additional facts such as sugary and fried foods, alcohol and smoking which we often turn to when stressed, causes cortisol and insulin levels to rise, accelerating the ageing process.
5. Detox theory – When the body’s ability to detoxify itself is impaired by external and internal toxins, it can’t find equilibrium which is important for maintaining good health. This leads to fatigue, trouble with cognitive function and eventually significant diseases such as cancers. Toxins affect the skin when foods high in fat, sugar, and other chemicals in the diet cause a hormonal, nutritional and cellular change that impair the body’s ability to detoxify itself. They manifest in acne, dry patches, sallowing of colour, dark circles, wrinkles and more. A detox program begins with what you eat. A healthy diet, free from sugar, and ample water is essential in order to clear out toxins. Special Anti-Ageing Eating Programmes take food combinations (chemical activity) and quantities into account for healthy eating.
* The Official Anti-Aging Revolution. Ronald Klatz, M.D., Robert Goldman, M.D. Basic Health Publications, Inc.