Anti-Aging
Anti-ageing is something we can all do and incorporate into our lives at any time- at any and every age!
We can slow down aging in our bodies and minds. We cannot (as far as I know) prevent aging altogether, and like my father says, we are all born to die.
Having shared that inspiring quote from my Dad, I do want to add that quality of life is a big deal, and improving the quality of your life is not only possible, but almost a sure bet, if you include some simple (and not-so-simple) practices outlined here. Detoxifying the body; cleansing from the inside I must state first as a primary, central, key aspect of any anti-ageing program. Everything else is gravy. But gravy's no good without poutine, or roast beef, or mashed potatoes ... get what I'm saying? Detox has got to be there. Detox info; further down on this page.
Growth Hormone Fountain of Youth?
Growth Hormone, mentioned in the Sleep page on this site is, quite simply the most shockingly effective anti-aging therapy there is!
Usually called hGH, referring to “human growth hormone” in the injectable format, this hormone is naturally found in high levels in young bodies, with levels declining after our teens. By the time you hit my ripe old age of 44, levels are often quite a bit lower, and this causes some problems that we accept as part of aging; to mention a few; hair loss, muscle loss, looser skin/ more wrinkles, lower sex drive/ reduced sexual performance, less energy and motivation, and more.
If you can raise your growth hormone levels, you will partially or totally reverse the above symptoms. You will feel (and look) younger. How great is that?
Injectable growth hormone is an option, but it's a one way street, and a temporary fix. When you come off, then what?
Of course you can skip this route and try out natural ways of raising your GH levels- fasting is definitely one way, but there are more;
Raising hGH Naturally
Weightlifting, according to research cited in “Grow Young with hGH” by Dr. Ronald Klatz, can raise GH levels by an astonishing 400%. More specifically, lifting at or near your absolute maximum ability in a free weight lift stimulates the massive increase that we’re after. Lifting at less, say 70% of your maximum stimulates around 300% more, which is still nice.
Cardio research that he cited (bike, running) stimulated a much wimpier 130- 170% increase. Some research actually shows a drop in GH following prolonged aerobic exercise. Keep your workouts short and very hard. Sprinting, as opposed to jogging, say.
What does that mean?
Let’s use me as an example of high intensity, I have a clip on my videos page where I deadlift 405lbs for 2 reps. This is probably around 90% or more of my absolute maximum lift, or 440lbs. So to hit a 300% increase in GH I need to hit 70% of 440 which is 308lbs. Lifting around 400, which is 90% of my max I can enjoy around a 400% increase. to avoid burnout, I’ll go near or right up to my max in different lifts, all involving lower body or whole body, rather than just doing the same lifts each workout.
I believe the variety we introduce in our training also helps stimulate GH, since unaccustomed stressors are also potent GH releasers.
FASTING
Fasting raises growth hormone in humans up to 10x!! That's a 1000% increase! Do it! Tons of research on fasting shows it to be a major anti-ageing strategy. It drives back ageing in the body in several ways, with the GH spike being but one of them. Read more about fasting and modified fasting on my detox page! I mention it again a little further down this page. I fast one or two days a week, and have been for over 20 years. I'm a huge huge fan of it!
Anti-ageing is something we can all do and incorporate into our lives at any time- at any and every age!
We can slow down aging in our bodies and minds. We cannot (as far as I know) prevent aging altogether, and like my father says, we are all born to die.
Having shared that inspiring quote from my Dad, I do want to add that quality of life is a big deal, and improving the quality of your life is not only possible, but almost a sure bet, if you include some simple (and not-so-simple) practices outlined here. Detoxifying the body; cleansing from the inside I must state first as a primary, central, key aspect of any anti-ageing program. Everything else is gravy. But gravy's no good without poutine, or roast beef, or mashed potatoes ... get what I'm saying? Detox has got to be there. Detox info; further down on this page.
Growth Hormone Fountain of Youth?
Growth Hormone, mentioned in the Sleep page on this site is, quite simply the most shockingly effective anti-aging therapy there is!
Usually called hGH, referring to “human growth hormone” in the injectable format, this hormone is naturally found in high levels in young bodies, with levels declining after our teens. By the time you hit my ripe old age of 44, levels are often quite a bit lower, and this causes some problems that we accept as part of aging; to mention a few; hair loss, muscle loss, looser skin/ more wrinkles, lower sex drive/ reduced sexual performance, less energy and motivation, and more.
If you can raise your growth hormone levels, you will partially or totally reverse the above symptoms. You will feel (and look) younger. How great is that?
Injectable growth hormone is an option, but it's a one way street, and a temporary fix. When you come off, then what?
Of course you can skip this route and try out natural ways of raising your GH levels- fasting is definitely one way, but there are more;
Raising hGH Naturally
Weightlifting, according to research cited in “Grow Young with hGH” by Dr. Ronald Klatz, can raise GH levels by an astonishing 400%. More specifically, lifting at or near your absolute maximum ability in a free weight lift stimulates the massive increase that we’re after. Lifting at less, say 70% of your maximum stimulates around 300% more, which is still nice.
Cardio research that he cited (bike, running) stimulated a much wimpier 130- 170% increase. Some research actually shows a drop in GH following prolonged aerobic exercise. Keep your workouts short and very hard. Sprinting, as opposed to jogging, say.
What does that mean?
Let’s use me as an example of high intensity, I have a clip on my videos page where I deadlift 405lbs for 2 reps. This is probably around 90% or more of my absolute maximum lift, or 440lbs. So to hit a 300% increase in GH I need to hit 70% of 440 which is 308lbs. Lifting around 400, which is 90% of my max I can enjoy around a 400% increase. to avoid burnout, I’ll go near or right up to my max in different lifts, all involving lower body or whole body, rather than just doing the same lifts each workout.
I believe the variety we introduce in our training also helps stimulate GH, since unaccustomed stressors are also potent GH releasers.
FASTING
Fasting raises growth hormone in humans up to 10x!! That's a 1000% increase! Do it! Tons of research on fasting shows it to be a major anti-ageing strategy. It drives back ageing in the body in several ways, with the GH spike being but one of them. Read more about fasting and modified fasting on my detox page! I mention it again a little further down this page. I fast one or two days a week, and have been for over 20 years. I'm a huge huge fan of it!
OK now on to a juicy amazing supplement I’m on; I have been on homeopathic GH for the past while and can I tell you? It rocks!! Seriously, I feel more motivated to exercise, my libido is through the roof, my sleep has massively improved and I feel stronger. As if that wasn’t enough, my lower back is much less stiff in the mornings when I arise. I LOVE this stuff. It’s called “HGH homeopathic”, made by “Life Choice”. I buy it at Noah's Natural Foods. I met the owner of LifeChoice at a health expo; he is very passionate about health and we had a brief but thoroughly enlightening conversation about health. Very bright man. He told me that him and his wife are on the HGH drops .. he loves it, as much as I do!
I like to rotate my supplements, particularly hormonal influencing ones, in order to keep the effects fresh and potent. Another supplement I use to really boost GH is called (predictably enough) GH Boost, by MD brand; metabolicdiet.com. The metabolicdiet website is my uncle’s, Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale, and he formulated all the products his company (MD) makes. My uncle Mauro is a great inspiration and help, and was one of the first people to be my personal trainer. Imagine, a 15 year old kid being trained by a 2 time world champion in powerlifting! Mauro’s supplements are not cheap, but they work, which is why he has such a high rate of repeat customers. His site lists and describes all of his supplements and books, and has tons of articles and information on his website, metabolicdiet.com and sells his products from mdplusstore.com. I definitely feel the effects of GH Boost, including better deeper sleep, a sure sign of GH increase.
Now there is a lot more to anti-aging for the enthusiast, so let us look at more important strategies, now that I have covered the most dramatic one;
I like to rotate my supplements, particularly hormonal influencing ones, in order to keep the effects fresh and potent. Another supplement I use to really boost GH is called (predictably enough) GH Boost, by MD brand; metabolicdiet.com. The metabolicdiet website is my uncle’s, Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale, and he formulated all the products his company (MD) makes. My uncle Mauro is a great inspiration and help, and was one of the first people to be my personal trainer. Imagine, a 15 year old kid being trained by a 2 time world champion in powerlifting! Mauro’s supplements are not cheap, but they work, which is why he has such a high rate of repeat customers. His site lists and describes all of his supplements and books, and has tons of articles and information on his website, metabolicdiet.com and sells his products from mdplusstore.com. I definitely feel the effects of GH Boost, including better deeper sleep, a sure sign of GH increase.
Now there is a lot more to anti-aging for the enthusiast, so let us look at more important strategies, now that I have covered the most dramatic one;
Penny Price; 90's bodybuilder
Exercise
Yes- do it! You WILL;
a) increase growth hormone output, which in turn is good for muscular, sexual, and organ health, as well as skin suppleness and firmness
b) strengthen your heart, both from weightlifting and cardio
c) improve your energy production, as well as your all around energy levels
d) sleep better
e) burn fat- again either weights, cardio, or both
and f) get many other benefits, as well!
get Antioxidants
Antioxidants, like vit C, vit E, beta-carotene, lycopene, carotenoids, anthocyanidins, and many other antioxidants are found in fruits and vegetables. The darker and more colourful, the higher the antioxidant content. So eat up!
Personally, I take about;
2000mg of vit C powder
800iu of vitamin E
500mg NAC
Zinc, 30- 50 mg, Copper 1 - 2mg, Manganese 10 mg, and Selenium 200- 300mcg daily, to support my body's own production of antioxidants. I also take 400mg of alpha-lipoic acid, because it is a great antioxidant, and I'll be damned if aging gets the better of me at my tender young age of 52!
Late breaking news; l GT, or lGT is a product which is super-hyped on one website I won't name as an incredible, scientifically proven anti-aging supplement, presented at a scientific anti-aging conference lately. Well, I listened to the "infommercial" type presentation, and HAD to get to the bottom of all this. Turns out that Setria is one respected brand of "lGT", which is a way to confuse the customer, because everyone else calls it Glutathione! Man, people have been supplementing with glutathione for ages! Now, this later study shows tangible positive effects on skin appearance from an oral glutathione supplement. Great. Quantity used? 500mg, once a day.
Where can you get it? You can raise your own production in your body dramatically; read on ; )
Nutrients of interest; NAC, glutathione, (beta)-alanine
Taking vitamin C with NAC - N acetyl cysteine, and selenium all together work in concert to elevate your glutathione production. If you did all that plus took some glutathione on top of that, well no harm done. Except maybe to your wallet :-)
NAC, vitamin C and selenium are such reliable glutathione precursors that I take them almost every day, to ensure my body keeps pumping out good levels of this crucial endogenous (made by the body) antioxidant.
Beta-alanine is very interesting for it's role in helping remove aging culprits AGES (advanced glycation end products) from our bodies.
Considerable research supports taking beta alanine which in turn produces carnosine in our bodies. Many aminos are precursors to others, and often taking a precursor beats taking the "target" amino. Beta-alanine is cheaper than carnosine and both help combat the pesky AGES molecules. Arginine is an excellent amino for heart health, and erectile function yet is more reliably raised in the body by taking citrulline, a precursor; just to give another precursor example.
drink Water
An Italian colloquialism for dying or death is "secco", which literally means 'dried'.
Drink up, and avoid being 'secco'. Plumping up your tissues with water improves skin turgor, fat metabolism, joint health, back health, circulation, diuresis, kidney health, and helps make you regular. Many cases of constipation relate to dehydration!
Drinking enough helps prevent and even treat kidney stones, arthritis, and constipation, to name a few!
Hyaluronic acid is naturally produced in our bodies; it helps tissues maintain their youthful plump fullness, largely due to it's humectant (water holding properties. A middle aged lady told me she was very pleased with smoother younger looking facial skin from taking hyaluronic acid (HA) as an oral supplement. It's usually available in capsules by various brands.
Yes- do it! You WILL;
a) increase growth hormone output, which in turn is good for muscular, sexual, and organ health, as well as skin suppleness and firmness
b) strengthen your heart, both from weightlifting and cardio
c) improve your energy production, as well as your all around energy levels
d) sleep better
e) burn fat- again either weights, cardio, or both
and f) get many other benefits, as well!
get Antioxidants
Antioxidants, like vit C, vit E, beta-carotene, lycopene, carotenoids, anthocyanidins, and many other antioxidants are found in fruits and vegetables. The darker and more colourful, the higher the antioxidant content. So eat up!
Personally, I take about;
2000mg of vit C powder
800iu of vitamin E
500mg NAC
Zinc, 30- 50 mg, Copper 1 - 2mg, Manganese 10 mg, and Selenium 200- 300mcg daily, to support my body's own production of antioxidants. I also take 400mg of alpha-lipoic acid, because it is a great antioxidant, and I'll be damned if aging gets the better of me at my tender young age of 52!
Late breaking news; l GT, or lGT is a product which is super-hyped on one website I won't name as an incredible, scientifically proven anti-aging supplement, presented at a scientific anti-aging conference lately. Well, I listened to the "infommercial" type presentation, and HAD to get to the bottom of all this. Turns out that Setria is one respected brand of "lGT", which is a way to confuse the customer, because everyone else calls it Glutathione! Man, people have been supplementing with glutathione for ages! Now, this later study shows tangible positive effects on skin appearance from an oral glutathione supplement. Great. Quantity used? 500mg, once a day.
Where can you get it? You can raise your own production in your body dramatically; read on ; )
Nutrients of interest; NAC, glutathione, (beta)-alanine
Taking vitamin C with NAC - N acetyl cysteine, and selenium all together work in concert to elevate your glutathione production. If you did all that plus took some glutathione on top of that, well no harm done. Except maybe to your wallet :-)
NAC, vitamin C and selenium are such reliable glutathione precursors that I take them almost every day, to ensure my body keeps pumping out good levels of this crucial endogenous (made by the body) antioxidant.
Beta-alanine is very interesting for it's role in helping remove aging culprits AGES (advanced glycation end products) from our bodies.
Considerable research supports taking beta alanine which in turn produces carnosine in our bodies. Many aminos are precursors to others, and often taking a precursor beats taking the "target" amino. Beta-alanine is cheaper than carnosine and both help combat the pesky AGES molecules. Arginine is an excellent amino for heart health, and erectile function yet is more reliably raised in the body by taking citrulline, a precursor; just to give another precursor example.
drink Water
An Italian colloquialism for dying or death is "secco", which literally means 'dried'.
Drink up, and avoid being 'secco'. Plumping up your tissues with water improves skin turgor, fat metabolism, joint health, back health, circulation, diuresis, kidney health, and helps make you regular. Many cases of constipation relate to dehydration!
Drinking enough helps prevent and even treat kidney stones, arthritis, and constipation, to name a few!
Hyaluronic acid is naturally produced in our bodies; it helps tissues maintain their youthful plump fullness, largely due to it's humectant (water holding properties. A middle aged lady told me she was very pleased with smoother younger looking facial skin from taking hyaluronic acid (HA) as an oral supplement. It's usually available in capsules by various brands.
DETOX - #1 for anti-ageing
Do your body a huge huge favour and detox- check out the detox pages on my website!PS Can you imagine what a vacuum cleaner would look like inside if it was used for years without being cleaned out? Or what a car engine would do if the oil was never changed? Clean up on the inside- you WILL look and feel younger (unless you are 5 years old). Fasting is a powerful detox tool, and it massively raises growth hormone (GH) production! GH increases of 1000% have been measured in brief 1- 2 day bouts of starvation. See the detox pages for more detox action.
All the anti-ageing supplements in the world are useless in a toxic body. Detox yourself, for health, for youth, and quality of life!
HERBAL Action
There are stories of men of ancient China living to very ripe old ages, and having several wives (in succession- not all at once!). There does not seem to be as much info on how women can live long with high health levels . . .
What these dudes would do is take a lot of tonic herbs, and have young wives or sexual partners, with whom they would practice specific sexual exercises, to get a Yin charge, for health.The Yellow Book, which used to be given to every new couple in China outlines tonic sexual practices for health and vitality in both sexes. This was before the bulls#!+ revolution, where everything, or near everything great about thousands of years of Chinese culture was under attack- sorry I digress . .
So, sex is charging for both sexes- men are Yang, and women are Yin. The attraction of the two to each other is partly from the potential of one charging the other in the energies they lack. Women get nourishing yang energy, while men drink up yin energy from their female partner. Actual sex does not have to be the mediator. There are many ways to draw, amplify and charge the energies for each other- I'd recommend reading a translated synopsis/ commentary of the Yellow Book, unless you know the language. The Yellow Book had very little to say about female homosexual acts, and even less to say about male homosexual acts, so not much to comment due to lack of info, other than to say the modern Dr. Batmanghelidj has some very interesting things to say about specific health issues around different sexual practices. His book is "Your Body's Many Cries for Water", really great reading on the importance of water for human health. The sex part is at the end of his book.
Umm, ya, so, moving right along, let's discuss herbs . .
Tonic HERBS
See a good herbalist, for starters. I always consult with Roger, the big Daddy of herbalists, who is sometimes seen working in Thuna's, here in Toronto.
Good tonic herbs are many- I am partial to Siberian, American, and Canadian ginseng, as well as fo ti tieng, yin yan huo, ashwaganda, sarsaparilla, gogi berries, schizandra, tongkat ali and codopnopsis to name a few.
A good herbalist can help tailor your herb concoction for your constitution- we are all different, and have differences in what really rocks for each of our bodies.
SLEEP
The importance of sleep is hard to overstate- have a look at the sleep page on this site and take steps to improve your sleep life. Good quality sleep is a powerful anti-aging strategy- put it to use for you! Sleep well, and you will improve your growth hormone/ cortisol ratio, reduce inflammation in your body, and improve your growth hormone output, thereby promoting overall health and youthful organ and skin maintenance. Sounds like a lot? It is. Sleep is an essential topic for everyone, especially those of us over 40 who may sleep less deeply. You can take big steps to support your sleep and your life- check it out in my sleep section on this site!
Do your body a huge huge favour and detox- check out the detox pages on my website!PS Can you imagine what a vacuum cleaner would look like inside if it was used for years without being cleaned out? Or what a car engine would do if the oil was never changed? Clean up on the inside- you WILL look and feel younger (unless you are 5 years old). Fasting is a powerful detox tool, and it massively raises growth hormone (GH) production! GH increases of 1000% have been measured in brief 1- 2 day bouts of starvation. See the detox pages for more detox action.
All the anti-ageing supplements in the world are useless in a toxic body. Detox yourself, for health, for youth, and quality of life!
HERBAL Action
There are stories of men of ancient China living to very ripe old ages, and having several wives (in succession- not all at once!). There does not seem to be as much info on how women can live long with high health levels . . .
What these dudes would do is take a lot of tonic herbs, and have young wives or sexual partners, with whom they would practice specific sexual exercises, to get a Yin charge, for health.The Yellow Book, which used to be given to every new couple in China outlines tonic sexual practices for health and vitality in both sexes. This was before the bulls#!+ revolution, where everything, or near everything great about thousands of years of Chinese culture was under attack- sorry I digress . .
So, sex is charging for both sexes- men are Yang, and women are Yin. The attraction of the two to each other is partly from the potential of one charging the other in the energies they lack. Women get nourishing yang energy, while men drink up yin energy from their female partner. Actual sex does not have to be the mediator. There are many ways to draw, amplify and charge the energies for each other- I'd recommend reading a translated synopsis/ commentary of the Yellow Book, unless you know the language. The Yellow Book had very little to say about female homosexual acts, and even less to say about male homosexual acts, so not much to comment due to lack of info, other than to say the modern Dr. Batmanghelidj has some very interesting things to say about specific health issues around different sexual practices. His book is "Your Body's Many Cries for Water", really great reading on the importance of water for human health. The sex part is at the end of his book.
Umm, ya, so, moving right along, let's discuss herbs . .
Tonic HERBS
See a good herbalist, for starters. I always consult with Roger, the big Daddy of herbalists, who is sometimes seen working in Thuna's, here in Toronto.
Good tonic herbs are many- I am partial to Siberian, American, and Canadian ginseng, as well as fo ti tieng, yin yan huo, ashwaganda, sarsaparilla, gogi berries, schizandra, tongkat ali and codopnopsis to name a few.
A good herbalist can help tailor your herb concoction for your constitution- we are all different, and have differences in what really rocks for each of our bodies.
SLEEP
The importance of sleep is hard to overstate- have a look at the sleep page on this site and take steps to improve your sleep life. Good quality sleep is a powerful anti-aging strategy- put it to use for you! Sleep well, and you will improve your growth hormone/ cortisol ratio, reduce inflammation in your body, and improve your growth hormone output, thereby promoting overall health and youthful organ and skin maintenance. Sounds like a lot? It is. Sleep is an essential topic for everyone, especially those of us over 40 who may sleep less deeply. You can take big steps to support your sleep and your life- check it out in my sleep section on this site!
ANTI AGEING for your BRAIN
Our brains tend to measurably shrink as we age. Scary!
The ageing brain can actually grow back missing volume and gain back memory and mood!
Physical exercise has been proven to help reverse brain mass loss! As well it is well proven to boost mood and well being.
Lithium is a very interesting mineral which I believe to be essential, and under-supplied in our diet (as are most minerals). Lithium supplementation is looking very promising for anti ageing in terms of longevity (rodent research) and positive brain effects (human research). Ask your Dr. for a script. Lithium Carbonate in 150 mg dose strength is actually quite a cheap drug (not a drug at all, but treated like one). I take half per day, so around 75mg of LiCO3, also known as lithium carbonate. Lithium is available as an over the counter supplement, but I have only seen a 5mg strength at a preposterous price compared to the cheap Rx stuff.
The standard indication for Li Rx is BiPolar disorder, which is the modern politically correct term for manic depression.
Given the very positive results in anti ageing research, I believe Lithium to be essential in a good anti-ageing protocol, regardless of the presence of any type depression or not.
Our brains tend to measurably shrink as we age. Scary!
The ageing brain can actually grow back missing volume and gain back memory and mood!
Physical exercise has been proven to help reverse brain mass loss! As well it is well proven to boost mood and well being.
Lithium is a very interesting mineral which I believe to be essential, and under-supplied in our diet (as are most minerals). Lithium supplementation is looking very promising for anti ageing in terms of longevity (rodent research) and positive brain effects (human research). Ask your Dr. for a script. Lithium Carbonate in 150 mg dose strength is actually quite a cheap drug (not a drug at all, but treated like one). I take half per day, so around 75mg of LiCO3, also known as lithium carbonate. Lithium is available as an over the counter supplement, but I have only seen a 5mg strength at a preposterous price compared to the cheap Rx stuff.
The standard indication for Li Rx is BiPolar disorder, which is the modern politically correct term for manic depression.
Given the very positive results in anti ageing research, I believe Lithium to be essential in a good anti-ageing protocol, regardless of the presence of any type depression or not.
Bad fats will make you old before your time
Polyunsaturated fats (canola, sunflower, safflower, soy and corn) are literally killing us, promoting brain deterioration including Parkinson's and Alzheimers, and giving us diabetes and heart attacks. The crime of the century is that these terrible fats are promoted aggressively, with bribed up regulatory bodies promoting them to us.
Want fries with that?
Every deep fryer in North America is full of these artery, brain and health wrecking fats. Fry your own food in coconut oil or ghee or butter (or even lard or duck fat).
Check out the Fats page to get a good grip on how and why good fats will keep you young and healthy, and avoid the vegetable oil pitfalls.
Polyunsaturated fats (canola, sunflower, safflower, soy and corn) are literally killing us, promoting brain deterioration including Parkinson's and Alzheimers, and giving us diabetes and heart attacks. The crime of the century is that these terrible fats are promoted aggressively, with bribed up regulatory bodies promoting them to us.
Want fries with that?
Every deep fryer in North America is full of these artery, brain and health wrecking fats. Fry your own food in coconut oil or ghee or butter (or even lard or duck fat).
Check out the Fats page to get a good grip on how and why good fats will keep you young and healthy, and avoid the vegetable oil pitfalls.
