Aging Doesn't Mean Hanging 'Em Up

Over the hill. Old. Ready for retirement. What the heck is in these terms? Nothing, as far as I'm concerned. Aging is a state of mind. No doubt, time moves forward; but does that mean life slow down? For some, maybe; but plenty of people are taking their lives to the next level--the next experience--as they age. Rock on! That's the way I'm gonna do it, for sure.

Baby boomers are taking these sentiments to heart: This generation is the first to take an active lifestyle into older age. I commend them. Keep truckin' baby boomers. Just make sure you learn to partake in your activities in the right way. Learn how to train properly. Take a yoga or Pilates class and master the form. You'll keep truckin' for years to come that way.

And younger generations take heed. You'd be wise to look to the boomers for inspiration. Looking to generations earlier than boomers might just land you in the rocking chair. Start exercising and taking care of your health now, today. Eat well, get plenty of rest, and never, ever stop training your mind--it's imperative to keeping your wits and staying youthful. And don't ever fall into the, "I'm too old for that" trap. Believe you can and you will--guaranteed. Don't think so? Look at these young middle-agers and their extraordinary accomplishments:

• Olympic Swimmer Dana Torres--at 41, Torres is heading for her fifth Olympics, despite taking several years off, giving birth just two years ago and undergoing two surgeries within the past eight months.
• Barry Bonds--at 44, broke the major league home run record held by Hank Aaron for 33 years (which Aaron, himself, broke at age 40). Bonds also won a batting title at 38 (considered old for baseball!).
  
• George Foreman--in 1994, at age 45, Foreman captures the IBF and WBA championships to become the oldest champion in any weight class.
• Jack Nicklaus--in 1986, Nicklaus wins the Masters at age 46.
• Leonid Hurwicz--in 1997, became the oldest person at 90 to win the Nobel Prize for his work in economics.
• George Burns and Jessica Tandy--oldest competitive Oscar winners for their work in The Sunshine Boys (1975) and Driving Miss Daisy (1989) respectively.
• Min Bahadur Sherchan--at 76, the oldest person to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

Understand? If you can see it and believe it, you can achieve it, no matter what your age. Nuff said.

Don't Eat the Salmonella...I Mean Jalapeño!

Warning! Breaking News: The culprit that caused the salmonella outbreak, which sickened more than 1,200 people over the last several months, appears to be jalapeño peppers. U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials have found a jalapeño pepper contaminated with Salmonella saintpaul, the bacteria that has been causing the widespread illness. The contaminated pepper was isolated from a distribution center called Agricola Zaragosa in McAllen, Texas.

Officials are not sure if the contamination originated in Mexico where the peppers are from or if the contamination was centralized in the Texas plant. Either way, one thing is for sure: DON'T EAT JALAPEÑO PEPPERS!!! Not until they've been cleared. So...hold the peppers, hold the salsa, no chipotle, nothing, nada. Can't think of a worse fate: a bug that gives you the runs in a pepper that makes you shoot fire. Yow!

Also, tomatoes, you're off the hook. Officials thought for a moment that it was this vitamin c laden fruit that was causing the runny woes, but lo and behold: TOMATOES ARE INNOCENT. Abbondanza!

There you have it--you heard it here first. From your source of health news and information with a twist. Now 'scuze me--gotta run to the....aaaarrrgghhhh!!!!

Red Wine for a Better Life

Well, it's official: Red wine makes life better. You heard it here first. Drinking red wine officially improves life, but not in quantity. So says a new study from the US National Institute of Aging.

According to the study, resveratrol, an antioxidant found in red wine, slowed the aging of the heart, bones, and eyes in mice that were fed an otherwise healthy diet. Scientists hope that we might be able to extrapolate these findings to humans, but maybe we better not jump the gun just yet; so let's simply proclaim that red wine makes life better for mice...for now. Now I wonder: would that be all mice or just our French furry friends? Oui, oui Monsieur souris, jouir d'une bonne santé.

If the findings can be extrapolated to man, then, this is great news for sommeliers--red wine is a blessing for better health. The study did not show any benefits to longevity, though, despite the hinting of such from an earlier study. In a 2006 study, researchers found that resveratrol, a compound found naturally in foods like grapes and nuts, improved the health and increased the life expectancy of overweight, older mice; however, not this time.

Well, either way, it's good news. Scientists point out that the effects of resveratrol mimics the effects of calorie reduction, the most effective way found to date to minimize the effects of aging on mammals. If you've read my book, you know what I've said about caloric restriction without malnutrition.

So if you want to slow down the aging process, reduce the quantity of food you regularly eat, and enjoy a glass of red wine with dinner. If that doesn't keep you looking and feeling youthful then at least it should make cheese more enjoyable.

Stay Healthy: Save A Penis

Do your part to save the male appendage today: Stay healthy at all costs! What?!?! You heard me right--staying healthy is your best insurance to keeping your organs, appendages, digits, and yes, your genitalia too.

According to a recent report, a Romanian man lost his penis in an "accidental" severing during a testicular surgery. Whoops! And the surgeon performing the operation wasn't a hack, either; he was a renowned and "highly respected" urologist and anatomy professor. Double oops! Ain't that just enough to make you cringe?

The slippery-wristed surgeon was ordered to pay the 38-year-old man $500,00 euros (785,000 dollars) in compensation. That's all?!?! for an amputation of that nature? Sheesh! I guess I think very highly of myself, but, well...I wouldn't have been happy with less than $10 million that's for sure--I'm still building my family, for heaven's sake!

I'm not posting this story to poke fun at this poor man's misfortune--his wife has since left him, to add insult to injury--but I use this as an example of why it's best to use the medical system as little as possible--emergency and life threatening situations only; for the most part, anyway. As I discuss in detail in the first chapter of my book, The Six Keys to Optimal Health, medical mistakes are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in this country. I guess they happen in Europe, too.

Listen, we need modern medicine: it is absolutely critical in times of crisis, and many of its marvels have improved the quality and quantity of life significantly for millions of people around the world. However, far too many use it as a quick fix for all their health woes, even the most minor ones; and frankly, that's foolish. Be smart--take care of your health to the best of your ability. Honor your body and put in at least the minimal amount of work to maintain it. Follow the six keys to optimal health and assure yourself the greatest chance of staying healthy and vibrant for years to come. And as a result, you may just do your part to save a penis one day.

Antioxidant Brain Cleaner

Want to know which natural substances have been shown to clear the mind of brain fog and improve mental function and memory? Antioxidants, that's what.

An interesting study out of the University of Toronto found that antioxidants, like vitamins C and E, can clear mental sluggishness, confusion and forgetfulness in people with type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder characterized by insulin resistance and high blood sugar. This type of diabetes is known as adult-onset diabetes because it is usually related to lifestyle--that is, poor diet, lack of exercise and obesity.

People with type 2 diabetes often get brain fog following a fatty meal. This mental sluggishness, the researcher have found, is due to oxidative damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals damage cells, tissues, and DNA, which can lead to cancer. They also speed up the aging process. Case in point, according to the Canadian scientists, brain fog in type 2 diabetics "makes the 50-year-old brain more like the 75-year-old brain."

So what makes this study important? If brain fog is caused by oxidative damage from free radicals, don't you think everybody might benefit from antioxidant supplementation? Yeah, so do I. Once again, that's vitamins C and E, as well as vitamin A and selenium. And if you've read my book, The Six Keys to Optimal Health, then you know I really like alpha-lipoic acid (ALA). ALA is known as the universal antioxidant because it is both water and fat soluble, and it crosses the blood-brain barrier easily. It's powerful and I highly recommend it. Research conducted at UC Berkeley showed alpha-lipoic acid to improve brain function and memory.

I don't know about you guys but my mind is important to me, so I'm all about supplementing with antioxidants. If supplements aren't your thing--and I'd strongly advise you to reconsider--then at least pound the real fruit juices I talked about in an earlier post. But for those of you who supplement regularly, don't forget to include vitamins C, E and ALA in your nutritional regimen.

Burning Tongue

Ever had a burning tongue? I have. Just recently, too. Yeah, it sucks.

What's a burning tongue? Everybody has burnt their tongue before, right? Hot coffee, hot soup, hot lasagna....goes away in a day or two, but not burnt tongue syndrome. Burnt tongue syndrome is the feeling of a burnt tongue that lasts for several days, weeks, months, or years. Yowsa! It can be caused by menopause, oral thrush, dry mouth (xerostomia), nutritional deficiencies, and psychological problems including anxiety and depression.

So I've had this sensation for the last five days--had me real perplexed, too. But I remember that vitamin B deficiency can cause some unusual tongue symptoms, so I started pounding the vitamin B (actually three supplement capsules a day). And what do you know? Burnt feeling going away slowly but surely.

How does one become vitamin B deficient? Chronic stress, heavy alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, heavy sugar consumption, heavy coffee drinking and poor digestion (inflammatory bowel syndrome) among other things. In my case, could have been any of those things, with the exception of alcohol and smoking since I don't do either. But I love sugar, and I do get stress out...plenty. And, when I don't eat right (for me--i.e. sugar, caffeine, wheat, pork, mint, and other food substances) I definitely have digestive disturbances (read my book, it's in there).

So if you find yourself with a burnt tongue sensation for more than a couple days, try increasing your vitamin B. If it doesn't get better within a few days, then you'd better get it checked out by your medical doctor.

Healthiest Juices

Want to know the most healthy juices to drink? A UCLA study looked at the antioxidant levels of a number of fruit juices and came up with some exciting conclusions. When it comes to healthy juices, pomegranate is the best; it is highest in antioxidants.

Antioxidants are vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that neutralize free radicals. Free radicals are substances that can damage cells, tissues, and DNA. These harmful substances can lead to degenerative disorders like cancer, and they also speed up the aging process. As I point out in my book, The Six Keys to Optimal Health, "Free radicals are formed naturally in the body during certain metabolic processes as well as by cells of the immune system to fight infections. They can also be formed by outside agents like cigarette smoke, pollution, and radiation."

Vitamins and minerals that act as powerful antioxidants are vitamins A, C, and E, and the mineral selenium. I highly recommend supplementing with these essential vitamins. I personally take 1,000 mg vitamin C per day. But I also think that taking 2,000 mg isn't such a bad idea. In fact, the great chemist and forward-thinker, Linus Pauling, believed that people should be taking much more than that (check out this interview), especially people battling cancer.

A great source of antioxidants are fruits and vegetables--that's why nutritionist recommend eating so many servings of each. But another great source is fruit juice: this is what makes these findings so exciting. So here you go--the list.

1. Pomegranate juice--the healthiest of them all because it contains the most of every type of antioxidant.
2. Concord Grape juice--a great source of antioxidants. May also be good for the heart and decrease blood pressure.
3. Blueberry juice (yum, my favorite!)--contains antioxidants, fiber and vitamin C...and it's blue, dammit.
4. Black Cherry juice--some studies have shown this juice to reduce muscle soreness following exercise. Booyah!
   
5. Cranberry juice*--can actually prevent urinary tract infections in women.
   

Enjoy, and start drinking your fruit juice. Remember, eating the whole fruit is always better, but for a big blast, fruit juices pack the antioxidants in. It also packs in the calories, so if you're trying to lose weight, then definitely stick to the whole fruit. Otherwise, juice away!

*Please note that there is a huge difference between real juice and the juice cocktails sold in most grocery stores. If you want the real deal, please visit your local hippie store, they'll take care of you. And if you are in L.A.--ask me, I can get you the good stuff.