# 318
Your series on eating wouldn’t be complete without addressing the issue of aging and eating. Which reminds me… I was having lunch with an old friend. We met in medical school but haven’t seen each other in years. I told him that after medical school I became Board Certified in Anti-Aging Medicine.
“I hate to be the one to break the news to you Al, but anti-aging is pure hype. There’s just no evidence that any of us can do anything about aging.”
After our conversation, there’s at least one more doctor who will never say that again. Anti-aging is a relatively new branch of medicine with more questions than answer. But one thing is for sure. We most certainly have proven that it is possible to modify aging.
In today’s Health Alert, I’ll show you the surest way to practice verifiable anti-aging. This simple technique has scores of scientific studies proving it anti-aging effect. It will not only slow your biological clock but also helps to detoxify your body.
Simple Can Be Powerful
Perhaps the oldest anti-aging technique on record is eating less. Wise men have known this for centuries. The thing that has changed is that now modern science has tested this approached, measured its effect and even deciphered mechanism of action.
Caloric restriction, (CR) has scientific validation with an amazingly consistent track record that stretches back seventy-five years. We now have evidence in over 60 species of animals including humans and other primates that fewer calories slow aging by a number of simultaneous mechanism.
CR slows aging by causing hormonal changes in your bloodstream. We now know there is a genetic pathway activated by CR, which protects you from the damage that causes aging. And, most incredibly, CR slows the shortening of the telomere, which is the master genetic control for your biological clock.
For example, multiple studies show that mice on CR diets live up to sixty-percent longer (and behave like younger mice in every way) than mice on a normal diet. In human terms, that’s like living an extra fifty years!
CR also lowers the risk of many diseases of aging. These include cancer, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s.
There are some drawbacks to CR. If you follow it closely, you will be hungry all the time. CR also requires a very long period to reap its benefits. CR is challenging and not for everyone. But that doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from what CR studies tell us.
Ancient Habit in the New Light of Anti-Aging Science
If you don’t want to sentence yourself to a lifetime of hunger; How about a short fast? Periodic fasting is a safe and reliable way to slow the aging process and prevent disease. Studies show that animals that eat a regular diet while fasting for one day once a week live longer than mice that don’t.
When you fast, you burn fat for energy. Not only do you lose the extra weight, you get rid of all the toxins that your body stores in the extra fat.
Fasting also helps your body make human growth hormone, along with other anti-aging hormones. This helps you to better use protein to repair cells, tissues and organs.
Here are a few tips:
- Start with a simple 24-hour water fast. Don’t eat anything and drink plenty of clean water for a day. That’s it.
- The next day when you break your fast, don’t eat a lot right away. Start slowly. Small amounts of fresh vegetables are your best bet. You can also start with a low glycemic load fruit like a grapefruit.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
PS. My friend’s comment reminded me of an AARP newsletter a couple of years ago. It asked the question if anti-aging was possible and answered by blasting the incredible headline that 51 Top Doctors Say No! I am disappointed to continue to hear such ill-informed nay saying from doctors. But, it does give me good reason to continue writing. And, it puts you a step ahead of the crowd.