Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964. The youngest ones are turning 50, and many are now almost 70 years old.
Even the celebrities we used to think of as “forever young” are almost 70.
But these folks aren’t aging the same way their parents did.
Today’s 70-year-old is more active and would never settle for the old folks’ home … and why should they?
With advances in anti-aging medicine, like the telomere technology I use with my patients, new and exciting changes are here.
For me, telomere biology is not about extending life. That’s a noble goal, but it’s not what I’m trying to do.
My idea of anti-aging is to help you live as young as possible, right now. I want you to stay energetic and youthful without being sidelined by pain or disease.
Of course, the healthier you are, the more quality years you are likely to have.
That’s what using the science of telomere biology can do for you. It’s already working … one study showed that the number of people over 65 with a major disability dropped from 26 percent in 1982 to 19 percent a few years ago. And this trend will keep going.
And just take a look at the celebrities who are close to turning 70… Bill Clinton, Steve Martin, Eric Clapton, Diane Keaton, Donald Trump and Sally Field.
Do any of those people seem “old” to you? They’re all still going strong, active and youthful.
Even if you’re 80 years old or more, anti-aging technology is something that can help you maintain or even reverse the biological age of your cells.
So it’s never too late.
And if you’re 45 or 50, you’re in a great position, because you’ll be able to carry the power and stamina of youth with you for another quarter century or more.
Here’s the bottom line: You don’t have to give up the enthusiasm you enjoyed in your youth. I prove this every day with the patients who come from all over the world to see me at my wellness center in South Florida.
To get you started, I’m going to show you two key steps I recommend to my patients to build biologically younger bodies as they age.
Step 1. Muscle Means Youth – Three pounds of your muscle disappears every decade. If this happens long enough, you wind up with a medical condition called sarcopenia.
This muscle-deficient condition occurs gradually. In fact, you may not even notice it, because your weight may not change as fat replaces muscle.
The most powerful tool for building muscle is physical exertion. And the right kind of exertion can reverse the symptoms of aging.
So what is the right kind of physical activity for building real muscle strength?
The best way to build muscle strength you can use is with what used to be called calisthenics. I call it body-weight exertion.
You want to put your body through natural patterns of movement. This is essential if you want new muscle that’s capable of doing anything.
When you call on your muscles in real life, they move against the resistance of your own body weight – not against the belt of a treadmill or the iron of a dumbbell.
Here’s a whole-body exercise you can do no matter how old you are. It will build functional muscle very quickly.
This is a simple-but-strengthening side leg lift with pulldown.
- Start standing “en garde” and shift your weight to your right leg – turn your right heel slightly and keep your knee soft.
- Extend your left arm up to the ceiling (keeping your hand in a fist) and lift your left leg up to hip height as you pull your left elbow down towards your hip.
- Lower your left leg down to the ground and extend left arm back up to the ceiling, maintaining your balance on your right leg.
- Repeat until you’re slightly winded with the left leg, and then switch to the right.
This will build quad and calf strength, arm strength and core strength. It will also challenge your heart and lung power, reversing their age as well.
Step 2. Slow Cellular Aging – You can do this by maintaining your telomere length. Slow the shortening of these tiny cellular clocks at the ends of your DNA and your body will act years younger than your biological age.
Today, we know how to do this with special molecules and peptides that you can ingest to help your cells grow biologically younger. In fact, here’s something you can try right now.
You can use a potent form of a particular amino acid that’s hard to come by from food called N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC).
NAC helps build one of your body’s strongest protectors, a primary antioxidant called glutathione.
That alone would be enough of a benefit. But more importantly, NAC and glutathione both have the ability to prevent cell aging by protecting telomeres.
Low glutathione is associated with shorter telomeres.
NAC protects telomeres from shortening because of oxidative damage. And, it also elevates telomerase, the enzyme that repairs telomeres.1
I recommend getting one to two grams of NAC a day. But you can use a much lower amount and still get the telomere health benefits. NAC is available at most health food stores.
The nutrients that protect your telomeres are something you need to know about. That’s why tomorrow I’m going to show you something I do every day that promotes telomere health… and could transform your life.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
1. Jagger, C., et. al. “The effect of dementia trends and treatments on longevity and disability: a simulation model based on the MRC Cognitive Function and Ageing Study (MRC CFAS).” Age Ageing (2009) 38 (3): 319-325.