Although we cannot stop the effects of aging, we certainly have the power especially in this day in age, to stay looking younger longer. Ever wonder how celebrities look the way they do? Sure, plastic surgeons can do wonders, but if you have noticed movie stars look just amazing! You can tell it goes more than skin deep. So, what are affordable ways we can look younger longer and most important be healthier? We interviewed experts in the field and here is what they have to say.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could eat foods normally and get the nutrients our body needs naturally? Realistically though, we don’t get enough of the vitamins and amino acids we need. The foods are farmed with fewer amounts of nutrients in the soil to save money on farming. Secondly, even though we know we are supposed to have at least 4 servings of both fruits and vegetables daily, do we? Lastly, we don’t eat the right foods that are rich in healthy fats, powerful antioxidants, or protein that our body needs. Instead, we opt for the foods that are readily available that contain fillers, chemicals, and are processed to the point where we can barely call it food.
Regular physicians tend to prescribe medications to mask symptoms of aging and tell you “it’s normal”. The celebrities we interviewed prefer natural or anti-aging doctors (Link to AAI Page) that supplement what your body needs.
Incorporate Injectable Vitamins, Amino Acids, and Specialty Peptide Formulations
When is the last time your physician asked to check your vitamin profile or hormones? Maybe never, and certainly not when you’re healthy? Every person is different and many people never know what level their hormones or vitamins are actually when they are healthy. This makes it difficult to determine when our body is lacking these nutrients and hormones. We just have to wait until we are experiencing signs of fatigue, saggy skin, extra fat around the belly area, trouble sleeping, or mood swings to seek help.
Amino Acids
Why are amino acids important to us? Amino acids are the building blocks to the wide variety of proteins that our bodies require for optimal repair, health, and growth of our cells. They are also responsible for neurotransmitters and hormone production. These amino acids are made up of two categories, nonessential (can be provided by the body) and essential (must be provided by our diet). We can get these important organic compounds through our diet, but most people don’t. We can also find a variety of oral supplements at local vitamin stores, but because they have to get past the gastro tract, most aren’t even absorbed into our system.
The most effective route of administration for amino acids is through injectable therapy. Because most physicians are interested in providing prescription medications to mask our symptoms, you need to find an anti-aging clinic specialized in this field to provide you these specialty compounds.
Examples of essential amino acids histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.
Examples of non-essential amino acids arginine, glutamine, tyrosine, cysteine, glycine, proline, serine, ornithine, alanine, asparagine, and aspartate.
Peptide and Polypeptide Formulations
Once you have found the right anti-aging physician, he or she may prescribe a peptide or polypeptide. How is this different from an amino acid? Peptide chains are made up of 2 or more amino acids, whereas polypeptides are made up of ten or more making a chain of amino acids. These formulations are specifically compounded to provide relief from aging symptoms. These compounds can help with weight loss, increase growth hormone levels, eliminate toxins, create antibiotics, and improve sexual performance. So you can see, it’s extremely important for our bodies!
Check your Sex Hormone Levels
Do you know what your testosterone level is? Most people don’t. This sex hormone is important not only for libido or sex drive, but for bone health, proper distribution of fat, and preservation of muscle. Healthy testosterone levels are associated with longevity according to clinical studies. Preserving our sexual desires is a critical factor in staying healthy. That’s why it’s called sexual health, procreating is what our bodies were designed to do. Keeping our sex hormone levels health shouldn’t be viewed as something tabu and more and more physicians are getting trained in hormone replacement. Testosterone is essential for men and women. Of course, women don’t need as much testosterone as men, and men need estrogen and progesterone also, just not in the amount women do. Understanding the proper balance and the side effects of hormone replacement therapy are why you should look into a specialized physician. Physicians that have a certification from the A4M (The Board for anti-aging doctors) are a good requirement to ask for when searching for one.
Why Growth Hormone?
The growth hormone has received a bad rap in the past due to the sports industry and a lack of knowledge by mainstream physicians. However, it’s, in fact, necessary for our body to heal itself. Many clinically study especially those in Europe have proven increased growth hormone levels in aging individuals does not cause cancer. Cancer is caused by behavioral, environmental toxin exposures and the body’s inability to reverse those facts due to genetic mutations or uncontrolled cell and tumor growth. The use of peptides or growth hormone can indeed cause accelerated growth where cancer is present, but it’s important to differentiate that it doesn’t cause cancer. If that were true, everyone would have cancer, since we all produce these hormones naturally.
That being said, there are many advancements in increasing the amounts of growth hormone in our bodies as we age. Some of the options available to approved patients include peptide therapies, amino acids, Ibutamoren, Sermorelin, and CJC/Ipamorelin.