It’s truly an exciting time to be alive.
We have the technology to control how we age. We even have choices on how and what we want to “anti-age.” There are therapies for just about everything.
But what really works? What isn’t going to break the bank? What can you do at home for a complete anti-aging program, from the inside out?
These are questions we get a lot around here at the office. I am asked all the time, ‘what does Dr. Sears recommend most? What do I do as part of my regimen?’
I’m here to tell you the key to anti-aging isn’t the latest and greatest skin cream, exercise program, or diet. Although they may help.
The real key to the “Fountain of Youth” is lengthening your telomeres.
Today I’m going to show you how.
Why You Should Care About Telomeres
If you are a regular reader you know that telomeres are the caps of your DNA. They are similar to the caps at the end of your shoelaces.
 |
Telomeres keep your chromosomes from fraying just like the plastic bits called aglets do for your shoelaces 1 (as shown in the illustration to the right).
As your cells divide your telomeres become shorter. When the telomeres get too short the cell can no longer divide and it dies. It’s a part of the aging process. Simply put it’s cell aging.
Cellular aging is also called senescence. It is essentially the winding down of your biological clock.
But … having any kind of health problem will also cause your telomeres to shorten, making your clock wind down faster than it needs to. Here are just a few diseases and chronic conditions that can cause telomere shortening:
- Macular Degeneration
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Cancer
- COPD
- Liver Cirrhosis
- Osteoporosis
- Degenerative Disc Disease
- Alzheimer
- Childhood Stress2
- Depression3
Telomeres are a Girl’s Best Friend
This is where the wonderful advancement of science comes in. Since the connection between cell death and short telomeres has been made, scientists have figured out a way to lengthen telomeres. This is done by activating an enzyme called telomerase.
Here’s the exciting part.
 |
By activating telomerase you can improve and support your heart and kidney function, memory, vision, recharge your sexual desire, breathe easier, feel and look younger.5
We can actually wind up our biological clock and keep all the mechanisms working better than ever before.
Reverse aging!
Here at the Wellness Center, Dr. Sears has devised a test called the Age Quotient, AQ for short. It’s like an IQ test for your body. AQ measures your body’s intelligence.
Specifically the test measures the biological age of your lungs, vision, arteries, bones, muscles, blood, kidneys, cardiac system, brain, liver, skin, veins, immune system and hormones. These are the biomarkers of the telomere testing.
Once all the tests are in, the results are calculated to give each biomarker its own biological age. What’s interesting is that every test will have a different age. For example, your lung age could be 20 years older than your chronological age. But your liver may be younger than your chronological age.
The test allows us to pinpoint the area(s) of shortened telomeres which helps us create a specific and individualized treatment plan.
But what happens if you can’t get to the center to have the testing done?
Start Activating Your Telomeres Today
You can actually “turn on” your telomerase enzyme and lengthen your telomeres by adding extra nutrients and making a few simple lifestyle changes.
The newest telomere research has shown that there is a connection between social isolation and shortened telomeres6. Social media is great for reconnecting but you need to get off the computer and interact in person. Make time for yourself and get together with family and friends and help lengthen your telomeres in the process.
Stress also causes shorter telomeres. Dr. Sears recommends daily meditation to his patients. Find a quiet place and concentrate on your breathing, pushing all thoughts away for 5 minutes.
Dr. Sears also likes breathing techniques by Dr. Andrew Weil. These are available at Dr. Weil’s website, www.drweil.com.
One thing Dr. Sears always recommends to his patients and staff is to take a multivitamin. Now the evidence is in as The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition conducted a study showing telomere lengths in women were 5.1% longer in multivitamin users7.
Lastly, research has also proven that women who take a daily Vitamin D supplement have longer telomeres then those who don’t 8. If you can’t get 20 minutes of sun a day or enough Vitamin D from the foods you eat, Dr. Sears recommends to start out with 2000 IU’s of vitamin D3.
The next time you are getting blood work you can ask your practitioner to test your D levels so you’ll know if you need to supplement more.
So, on your mark, get set, go. Wind up your biological clock today and start to grow younger!
For a more beautiful you,
Sandy DeRose
Natural Beauty Advocate