In a number of ALTERNATIVES issues (most recently vol.
8, numbers 12 and 15), I have outlined what I believe are the steps
we should all take to increase not only our quantity of years,
but the quality of those years as well. (To order back issues,
click here).
Increase the amount
of unrefined foods in your diet and minimize highly processed
foods. The more processed foods you eat, the worse your
health will become. Canned, frozen, and processed meats,
vegetables, and fruits all have significantly fewer vitamins,
trace minerals, and enzymes than their raw counterparts.
If organic foods are
available and reasonably priced in your area, switch to
those. In particular, try to eliminate or at least minimize
sugar and refined carbohydrates, and avoid fried foods.
Limit oil consumption to flax and cold pressed virgin olive
oil.
The primary exception to these rules pertains to fermented
foods. The natural fermentation process in foods like tofu,
yogurt, buttermilk, cottage cheese, sauerkraut, etc. helps
provide a wide range of beneficial enzymes, bacteria, and
other compounds.
Make sure your water supply
is as clean and pure as possible.
Conventional tap water is most likely contaminated with
dozens of chemicals that are regularly overlooked by public
authorities. I have always recommended distilled
water, and I urge you to consider this option.
Take
steps to compensate for the decline in your metabolic rate
that comes with aging.
One inevitable consequence of aging is the reduction in
our basal metabolic rate (BMR), the rate at which the resting
body consumes energy.
Beginning at roughly age 30, our BMR decreases over the
years as our nutritional needs continue to be about the
same. So basically we continue to eat the same amount of
nutrients, but since our activity level and BMR decline,
we begin to experience problems with weight gain and obesity.
There are two simple techniques that can help you cope with
this imbalance. •
First, make sure your thyroid is functioning properly.
The simplest method of checking your BMR is to check the
temperature under your armpit before you get out of bed
in the morning. For more details on this procedure, see
the November 1999 issue of ALTERNATIVES.
•
Second, exercise
to compensate for the age-related decline in your BMR.
Any exercise helps, but the best results will be obtained
when some form of resistance exercise, like weight lifting,
is included.
Exercise builds lean muscle, which is more metabolically
active than the fat tissue it replaces, so you constantly
burn more calories throughout the day and not just during
the period of exercise.
Take a good multi-vitamin/mineral
complex. The best ones provide the vitamins, minerals,
and herbs that help boost overall health.
Keep a good, positive
attitude about life. As simple as it may sound, your
outlook on life might be the most important aspect of improving
both the quality and length of your life.
These statements have
not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These
products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent
any disease.
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