Anti Aging

Showing posts with label Oxidative Stress - Should Everyone Control Their Oxidative Stress?. Show all posts

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Exercise Techniques For Staying Younger As You Age

There are many exercise techniques targeted for various goals such as gaining strength and mass, losing weight and staying fit as we age. This article looks at the last type.

There is an issue with endurance training - such as staying on a tread mill in the fat-burning zone for 30 minutes - if your intention is to exercise for an anti aging benefit (rather than only burning fat, for example). Exercise literature has shown that this type of aerobic training is not the best option for both weight loss and aging in a healthier way. The reason is that they are not designed to promote your body's natural production of growth hormone that will actually make us age more slowly.

So what type of exercise should you use? It's called interval or burst training and it is proven to maximize health and fitness levels as we age more so than things like paced aerobic training can.

Science has proven that it triggers our body's healing response which allows cells to regenerate more efficiently causing tissue to grow stronger. If you're interested in getting rid of some extra fat, interval training has be shown to burn 3 times as much fat as slower aerobic activities.

Basically it is the opposite of endurance training and it drastically lowers the time it will take you to improve your fitness level.

How does it work? For shorter periods, such as 30 - 60 seconds, you are exercising vigorously - raising your pulse to near its safe maximum level. This, for those who consider themselves to be very out of shape could be as simple as walking up a set of stairs two times. At the top if you have an elevated heart rate and are breathing more deeply you've just completed a successful burst train.

Ideally, you would repeat this short routine 3 - 4 times with no more than about a 3 minute rest period between sets. This will give your heart rate a chance to lower but you'll want it to also remain slightly elevated as you continue into your next set.

Why is this known to work? Exercise research indicates that whatever you're burning during an exercise routine you burn the opposite of for up to 36 hours afterwards. So, if you focus on exercises that burn sugar, your body will tend to metabolize more fats for the next day and a half.

Why does this happen? This type of short, yet highly intensive interval training is known to elevate levels of growth hormone and testosterone. These are the two best, natural hormones your body can produce to help you slow down your body's biological aging clock.

Here's a quick routine that anyone can do in their home.

All you need are 2 dumbbells. While holding them by your sides do repetitive squats and when you rise continue lifting the weights to a point just above your head. You can start with even 5 pound weights, moving progressively upwards in weight as you feel stronger. When you first try this routine if you're really out of shape you should feel winded within 60 seconds. The key is to stop when you feel your heart rate has elevated and your finding it slightly more difficult to breathe.

You should also notice a lactic acid burn when exercising this way.

Before repeating the next set make sure you rest to the point where you've got your breathe back. Then just repeat for another 60 seconds or so and rest again for 2 - 3 minutes. The entire routine should take you no more than about 12 - 15 minutes. That's it. You don't even need to do this on a daily basis. Studies indicate that doing this exercise every second day actually provides more health benefit than doing it daily. What you want to do here is really boost your growth hormone cycle.

There are other strength building exercises that you can do on your in-between days - for your biceps, triceps, abs and calves that won't interrupt this cycle from occurring.

Resistance training. This is also a form of interval or burst training that is known to raise hormone levels that will help us to age more slowly. You can eventually add resistive training to the same days that you do your burst training. Again, on your off days you would only work smaller muscles. The resistance training would include your larger muscle groups such as chest, back and thighs.

Many people may not even need this additional step of resistance training to increase hormone levels, even using the dumbbells every second day is known to lead to large percentage gains in strength, increased growth hormone levels, improvements to the immune system, improved recovery times, higher testosterone levels and better overall feelings of well being.

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We Do Have A Genetic Time Clock!

If you could find out how much longer you are going to live would you? This is an age old question, how long am I going to live? Do you believe we have a predetermined time on this planet? Is there a way we can determine how much longer we have, or when our, "time" is? Thanks to science and genetic research we can actually come pretty close to answering these questions.

We have learned that there are little genetic time clocks at the end of our DNA called telomeres. These little caps help protect the DNA and act like the plastic cap on the end of your tennis shoelace keeping it from fraying. These telomeres come in pairs and upon conception we have around 15,000 of them. Once we are born we are down to 10,000 pairs thanks to all the cellular replication it takes to make a baby, and when we burn through half of those that we have left and get near the 5,000 mark... well, lights out!

Some very specific labs can actually test and tell you your genetic age by analyzing these little telomere pairs, if you dare to know. The question becomes, "is the rate that we go through those vital 5,000 pairs of telomeres set in stone?" The answer is NO. Can we actually change the pace at which we go through these telomeres and actually slow down the process? The answer is YES! Even if you were to go and get you genetic age tested, and it turns out you are 15 years older genetically than your age, the show is not over.

As it turns out, the way you live your life and your health status, along with the choices we make can actually prove to be difference. STRESS, whether physical, mental or chemical will add to what is called our allostatic load. Basically, our stress level. Stress is a real thing even if people have a hard time quantifying it, testing it, or reducing it. Oxidation is the process that beats us down on a cellular and genetic level that comes from this stress. This oxidative stress wears down our systems, produces free radicals, inflammation, and toxicity. All of which will age you faster than your years, trigger disease states and conditions, and burn through those precious little telomeres.

This fantastic piece of information either liberates people and gives them hope, or it scares them into a depression. We look at it as an opportunity to play a larger role in our destiny. Not only a chance to add some years to our life, but some life to the years we have left. The key is healthy living. For others the idea of responsibility for our life, health and even how long we live is too much to bear, never mind the concept of making life changes to effectively turn it around.

The truth is we chose our destiny and future with every choice we make in each moment. If you are not actively working to improve your health you will be passively losing it. The game is stacked against us unfortunately. We live in a very stressful world, full of chemicals and toxins, eating fake processed foods, not getting enough exercise and very little out there to help us actually reduce our stress. Fortunately there are programs and systems out there to do just that, but the person has to be one of those people who are relieved they play a role in their health and future and not the one who ignores it. We will even take the middle of the road people out there, but the key is having the desire to make a change and seeing the value in the time, money, and effort you will be putting out to get there.

Ultimately it is up to you. Get your family and people close to you together and make a plan based on your values. Set some goals and start to put your team together. Our team consists of a nutritionist, trainer, chiropractor, natural minded medical doctor, and so forth. You never want to have to argue with your health care team or feel you cannot discuss any topic of interest with them. You personal team is number one but your professional team is a close second. So choose wisely!

Go to Free Consult today and fill out the contact form. Put FREE MEET AND GREET in the message box and claim one of our 30 free strategy meet and greet phone or skype sessions with Dr. Clum we are offering to Ezine readers. This is the perfect time for questions and checking out how we could help you with your health concerns. There is not obligation and you can enjoy this consult from the comfort of your home.

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6 Foods to Beautify Yourself Naturally From the Inside-Out!

Juice!

Daily juicing of fresh fruits and vegetables gives your body optimum health and an abundance of nutrients that result in glowing skin, hair and nails as well as anti-aging and energy boosting benefits. Juice fruits and vegetables with high amounts of vitamins C, E, A, K, and B complex for anti-aging and beautifying benefits. Note that juice must be fresh squeezed and consumed within 20 minutes of juicing. To benefit from juicing daily, it is more convenient and cost-effective to invest in a good juicer; some top brands are Omega 4000, Breville and Jack Lalanne.

- Juice Oranges, grape fruits, kale and spinach for Vitamin C that aids the skin in collagen production, reduces free radical damage and stimulates hair growth.

- Juice kiwis and spinach for Vitamin E to protect and repair the skin through neutralizing free radicals to prevent premature aging and damage to DNA.

- Juice carrots for Vitamin A to stimulate cell regeneration so that your skin can repair itself and produce new skin tissue.

- Juice kale For Vitamin K, which heals damaged skin and keeps hair healthy.

- Juice cucumbers, spinach and beets for Vitamin B complex to stimulate hair growth, to retain moisture in the skin and to provide the basic nutrient foundation of skin, hair, and nail cells.

MSM

MSM is an organic sulfur compound that is stored in every cell in the body, namely found in great amounts in the joints, hair, skin, and nails. Sufficient daily sulfur intake is essential for healthy and glowing hair, skin and nails, which can be easily accommodated for by a daily dosage of MSM powder! Note: always take MSM powder with Vitamin C because it enhances the effects of MSM. It is best to mix your daily dose of MSM powder with water and fresh squeezed lemon. MSM powder can be found in any natural foods store like Whole Foods.

Organic Raw Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

Throw away your chemically loaded lotion and replace it with organic raw extra virgin coconut oil! Our skin, hair and nails respond happily to coconut oil, which comes 100% straight from mother earth and has many healing properties: antioxidant Vitamin E, anti-fungal, anti-oxidizing and anti-bacterial fatty acids. All properties of coconut oil work to deeply penetrate the hair, skin and nails to soften and protect against premature aging, reduce spots or acne, stimulate hair growth and restore protein and shine back into the skin, hair and nails. For optimal use choose organic, raw, extra virgin coconut oil as an all over body lotion and deep hair conditioning treatment.

Salmon

In order to maintain healthy and beautiful skin, hair and nails essential fats are a must, as they allow the skin, hair and nails to retain moisture. Eating oily fish such as salmon is a great way to ensure that you get enough essential fatty acids in your diet. The fatty acids within salmon have beautifying and anti-aging effects on the skin, hair and nails. Salmon is the ultimate beauty food because salmon has large amounts of vitamin B and omega-3, a combination that particularly makes the skin glow. Salmon also improves the production of collagen, melanin and keratin in the skin, as well as improve the ability of the skin to retain water. Also, wild salmon has a high content of selenium, a mineral that is known to protect the skin from sun damage. Always buy wild salmon rather than farm-raised salmon, as wild salmon is higher in omega-3 fatty acid content and vitamin D.

Organic Flax Seed

Another essential fat that is key to beautiful skin, hair and nails is flax seed, which is composed mostly of omega-3 fatty acids that are known for its many health benefits, such as increased skin regenerating, anti-inflammatory, and moisturizing properties. Flaxseed not only rejuvenations your skin, it protects your skin, especially when using flax oil topically, locking in your skin's moisture and keeping irritants out of your pores. Ultimately, flaxseed works to give your skin, hair and nails an amazingly glowing and healthier skin tone. Flaxseed should be consumed daily or applied topically in order to maintain beautiful skin, hair and nails and minimize the effects of aging. Choose organic flax seed always. You can rub plain flax seed oil gently into your skin or eat flax seeds on a daily basis by adding them to your main dishes prior to serving, use them as a topping or snack on them.

Raw Cacao Powder

Cacao is known as the 'food of the gods', it is a raw unprocessed form of chocolate that comes from cacao beans that are then ground into a raw powder for various uses. The beautifying effects and health benefits of cacao powder are wide-ranging, including a surplus of antioxidants and essential vitamins and minerals like Magnesium, calcium, sulfur, zinc, iron, protein, Fiber, Vitamins: B1, B2, B3, B5, B9, and E. These properties neutralize free radicals due to their high levels of antioxidants, protecting the skin from premature aging. The components of cacao, such as theobromine, enhance physical and mental well being by improving the mood and combating depression. Always use raw cacao powder. To easily incorporate into your daily life add cacao powder to your morning smoothie or apply topically as a face mask

Incorporating each of these natural beauty foods into your everyday life will without a doubt improve your appearance and simultaneously improve your mood and health.

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How To Look Younger And Live Longer The Chinese Way

In 2001, I had the good fortune to travel to China to visit police colleges to study their training methods. I was retired from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and employed by a law enforcement academy, and in that capacity I visited China. Throughout my adult life, I have been an admitted "health nut" and was curious to learn of the Chinese diet and lifestyle since they have far lower rates of heart disease, cancer and diabetes than citizens of the western industrialized world.

While in Chongqing, a municipality of 34 million people, I had the good fortune to meet a grand master of the ancient Chinese art of rejuvenation and anti-aging, an art that had been developed centuries earlier in the Chongqing region. At first, I was unimpressed with this person, who appeared to be a beautiful young woman in her early twenties. After all, what does someone of that age know about aging and the consequences thereof? When I later learned, however, that she was forty-five years of age, my interest piqued, to say the least. I had to learn what she was doing that the rest of us are not doing... to say I had a thirst for knowledge would be a gross understatement. I ended up going to China every year for eight years and living there for five more years.

When the master visited Canada at the age of forty-nine, I took her to a casino in Niagara Falls as she had never seen a casino before. She was stopped by the security guard at the door and asked to produce her ID. The guard explained that one must be at least nineteen years old to enter the casino. We all got a good laugh about that as her son was older than the security guard.

Interestingly enough, almost all the advice we are given by researchers in the west is ignored by the master. She and her assistants/students, who also look much younger than their chronological age, all eat lots of carbohydrates and saturated fats. None of them take any vitamins or supplements whatsoever. Although they eat protein every day, their diet is primarily vegetable based, but this is also true of all Chongqing people. Unlike we in the western world, age is revered in China and to have the label "Old" attached to their name is a great honor. People lie about their age in China, just as many people do in North America, but they profess to be older than they are, not younger.

The master stresses that looking younger is not the goal of her art, merely a by-product. The real goal is to retain the characteristics of youth as you age so your old age is as healthy, energetic and adventurous as it was when you were a young person.

This master of the ancient Chinese art of rejuvenation and anti-aging lived in a traditional region of China, very unlike Beijing and Shanghai, and she didn't believe people in the west would be interested in her knowledge. "After all", she said, "why would people want to look younger? Are they not proud of their age and the wisdom they have accumulated?" My skepticism was far different. I didn't think people in the western industrialized world would believe that biological aging could be slowed down or stopped without pills, potions or crèmes, since we westerners have been conditioned to believe that a pill is necessary for everything, therefore anti-aging without something to swallow, ingest or apply wouldn't make sense to the western mind. I have learned, however, that our mind can be our worst enemy or our best friend when attempting to retain the characteristics of youth.

To learn more about the book "How to Look Younger and Live Longer: The Ancient Chinese Art of Rejuvenation", and to see photos of Tian Yong, go to:
http://www.bcoxbooks.com
Tian Yong is also the model on the cover of Brian Cox's spy-thriller novels entitled "The Chinese Woman". She is forty-five years old in that photo.
"How to Look Younger and Live Longer: The Ancient Chinese Art of Rejuvenation", by Tian Yong and Brian N. Cox is available on the Amazon Kindle Store at:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D484O1G

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Botox and Juvederm Are Safe, Non-Surgical Wrinkle Fillers

The cosmetics industry treats wrinkle fillers like mousetraps: it's all about who can "build" a better one. The market is inundated with creams and roll-on sticks - even sleeping masks have gotten in on the action. But because there are so many over-the-counter wrinkle fillers out there, a lot of people are convinced that the next step has to be surgery. Luckily, there are other options.

Botox and Juvederm injections are non-surgical alternatives to all those creams on the shelves. When administered by a trained Juvederm or Botox doctor, they offer longer-lasting results in a perfectly safe environment. In some cases, Botox cosmetic injections last up to four months. Juvederm injections may last up to one year.

Choosing a Botox Doctor

Once you've decided you want to try a Botox or Juvederm injection for your wrinkles, it's time to do some research into the right practitioner. The injections can be administered by a licensed Botox doctor as part of any cosmetic procedure. You can also ask your dentist about an injection for your wrinkles: he or she already knows your face well, and can make a recommendation for whether Botox or Juvederm is the better choice for your needs.

How Cosmetic Injections Work

Television and movies have had a lot of fun at the expense of cosmetic injections. But the stereotype of the person who cannot move his or her face isn't true at all. In fact, the "plastic" looking faces you see on TV are most likely a product of a surgical procedure - not the work of a licensed Botox doctor.

When you get an injection for your wrinkles, you can request a numbing cream or spray to minimize any discomfort. The doctor will then make a series of tiny injections into the skin or muscles, depending on which is best for you. Botox and Juvederm work as wrinkle fillers because they relax the muscles in your face, which cause those wrinkles in the first place.

Eliminating Wrinkles is Only One of Many Uses

Many people believe that Botox and Juvederm are only wrinkle fillers - but that's not the case. More than 11 million people have seen a Botox doctor to help with:

• Easing the pain of chronic migraines

• Repositioning a "lazy" eye

• Putting an end to involuntary muscle contractions, like those caused by cerebral palsy

• Overly active bladders or sweat glands

The Differences between Botox and Juvederm

Because Botox is derived from the botulinum toxin, people are often nervous about using it as part of their cosmetic injections. But Botox is a perfectly safe medication causing few side effects when administered correctly by a doctor or licensed professional. It's no more dangerous than eating an apple seed, which has trace amounts of arsenic in it.

For those seeking an alternative, there's Juvederm. Juvederm is a gel used in cosmetic injections in the lips or around the nose. It's made of hyaluronic acid, which occurs naturally in your skin. Like Botox, it serves to fill in small lines and wrinkles. It can also be used as an alternative to collagen treatments (to plump up lips), or to fill in facial scarring. Unlike Botox, which works by relaxing the muscles, Juvederm fills in the tissues in your face.

Dr. Goldberg of Howell Dental Associates received his D.D.S. from University of Maryland at Baltimore. He is a member of the American Dental Association, the New Jersey Dental Association, the Jersey Coast Dental Forum, and the Seattle Study Club. His pursuit of continuing education annually exceeds state requirements including the Mid-Atlantic Dental Implant Center and a 2003-2004 Residency in Implant Prosthetics.

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Oxidative Stress - Should Everyone Control Their Oxidative Stress?

This is a preview on oxidative stress and why you should care. For the people who are not familiar with oxidative stress, this is the Wikipedia definition:

"Oxidative Stress represents an imbalance between the systemic manifestation of reactive oxygen species and a biological system's ability to, readily detoxify the reactive intermediates or to repair the resulting damage. Disturbances in the normal redox (shorthand for reduction-oxidation reaction) state of cells can cause toxic effects through the production of peroxides and free radicals that damage all components of the cell, including proteins, lipids, and DNA. Further, some reactive oxidative species act as cellular messengers in redox signaling. Thus, oxidative stress can cause disruptions in normal mechanisms of cellular signaling". Increasing levels oxidative stress in our bodies leads not only to malfunction and disease but is bio-chemically the reason we age.

Some people might still be thinking. After all that being said still what is it and why would it pertain to me? Maybe, I am in excellent health, and I feel OK, this must be about other people. I am here to tell everyone oxidative stress affects us all. We all have it and our levels increase with age. Simply put oxidative stress is damage to our bodies cells when free radicals (toxic waste) have been released into the cells due to the energy needed for bodily activity. Oxidative stress is like an engine rusting from the inside out.

To make sure everyone gets the full picture of this massive problem, that affects everyone, I will give you a simplified explanation of free radicals. Free radicals attack our bodies at a cellular level. They are bi-products of living and the levels can vary because of our environment. The air we breathe, food and drinks we consume, activities we participate in, even the way we feel can also change their levels. To obtain the energy a body needs to operate the cells burn what we consume and the air we breathe, then release toxic chemical inside the cell; those bi-products are known as free radicals. They react with all the components of the cells literally bombarding them millions of times per second damaging all our cells and even our DNA, which can cause mutations of the cells. One fascinating fact is the average person has 300 septillion ("that is a three with twenty-seven zeros behind it") free radical in our cells on a daily basis. Again, this leads to malfunction, disease and an increased rate of the aging process.

The truth is oxidative stress is at the center of over 200 diseases. All the way from the feelings of Stress, Anxiety and Depression to High blood pressure and sugar disorders like Diabetes which can culminate with problems like Heart disease, Strokes, Cancer, Melanoma and Alzheimer's.

Most people in the medical field think the best way to control oxidative stress by consuming anti-oxidants. Things like vitamin A, C, E, and or a multi-vitamin with minerals are believed to fight the free radicals in your body. Along with these vitamins they recommend a well balanced diet rich in fruit and vegetables. This theory of the fight against oxidative stress has some serious issues with maximizing your body's defense through the use of these anti-oxidants.

This consensus for controlling oxidative stress is a direct method approach. This method is like fighting a forest fire with a garden hose. These anti-oxidants can only eliminate one free radical for every molecule you consume. Also, by consuming the anti-oxidants some of the molecules turn into free radicals. Another issue with the direct method is the number fruits and vegetables that are processed by "Green Harvesting". This process is just what it sounds like. The basic version is the produce is harvested before being ripen. Plants do not release the nutrients that nature intended until the ripening process; therefore we do not receive the nutrients we paid for and need. The direct method of combating oxidative stress is not the best approach for substantially reducing this problem.

I have found the best way to protect our bodies against oxidative stress is an indirect method. This method is extremely complex; so I will try to simplify it, due to time; therefore, I will not be able to explain all the terms. The indirect method is accomplished through an activator, which communicates with the cell, instructing them to do what they are already designed to do. The molecule enters the cell nucleus and up-regulates the cell's survival genes; allowing them to survive the bombardment of free radicals that cause the oxidative stress and other oxidation. Also, it down regulates other genes to help the body function at an optimal level. This method eliminates free radicals at a rate of one million per molecule consumed, every second lasting for 14 days.

Oxidative stress cannot be eliminated, but it can be significantly reduced. There are only two products known that work via the indirect method. One is a synthetic product made by a pharmaceutical company that cost over $50,000 per year. The second company's product; created out of five natural ingredients which becomes synergized do to the patent protected formula. The cost for this product is about $600 per year. By the way, the pharmaceutical company's report on their product says the natural product works by at least 20%. One secret about using the direct method of combating oxidative stress is to match the indirect method a person would have to consume daily: 376 oranges, or 15 pounds of blueberries, or drink 87 glasses of wine. Good luck! With trying that method.

To live a healthier life, everyone should do all they can, to reduce oxidative stress and share this information with their family and friends.

If you would like more information on how to maximize your reduction of oxidative stress, slowing your aging process with natural products click: Ageless

William Peterson is an entrepreneur that has started different companies. He has grown a company to over 30 million in revenue per year. He now helps people by working with them on how to change their lifestyle through entrepreneurship and mentoring, and also to improve their health. His life goal is to share his knowledge about healing illness with as many people as possible and to build a team of professionals with the same goal. Find out more by going to: http://www.whoisbillpeterson.com

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Easy Things We Can Do to Maintain Strength As We Age

Keeping our bodies fit as we age is something just about all of us wish for, but the percentage of people who actually accomplish it as they get into their 70's and 80's is quite small. Life expectancy in countries such as Japan, Switzerland, Spain, Sweden and Israel is markedly higher than in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, and health care and diet certainly play a part. But those countries where people live longer also have a culture of being physically active, be it simply getting out and walking.

We have all known people who have been in top physical shape, but when they become elderly have an accident causing them to be bed-ridden for a while. After a period of activity they never are able to recover physically. We might attribute it to the natural aging process, but fairly recent testing has shown there is a lot more going on.

Tests on astronauts when in a gravity-free environment are quite revealing. It has been established that there is close to a ten times acceleration in the aging process as opposed to living in Earth's gravity. This is measured in bone and muscle loss.

Obviously these astronauts are in peak physical condition, and diet should not factor in. The only difference is lack of physical activity on a moment-to-moment basis, and without this resistance to gravity that we normally endure we begin to physically deteriorate.

This relates to people who are bed-ridden, and can further be implied to those who sit in a chair in front of a computer for hours at a time. What all this means is our lifestyle determines how quickly our bodies will age. And understanding that gravity plays a key role in our physiological functioning and therefore in how we age, making simple adjustments in our movements throughout the day will have a major impact.

The function of lipoprotein lipase in our system is to facilitate fat to move from the bloodstream into our cells. This fat uptake means our cells will be consuming this fat. Lipoprotein lipase it has been found is dramatically reduced during activity and just by standing from a seated position will increase from this activity. In other words, a lot of calories aren't burned in the process of standing, but you are helping your body burn fat for fuel.

An exercise routine is important, and everyone should make them part of their lifestyle. But these non-exercise activities are also important for burning fat and keeping us young. To make the point further, it was found that standing up from a sitting position had more of an effect on cardiovascular and metabolic changes than walking on a treadmill for 15 minutes. Also, the stimulus of standing from a sitting position must be spread through the course of a day. Said another way, it is more effective to space out regular standing and sitting throughout the day rather than doing all of them at once, then plop down for the rest of the day.

There are many things we can do to help us become healthier and to age better, and diet is certainly a big part of it. Seniors are now getting more into yoga and other exercises such as Pilates to keep young. Rich Carroll is a writer and avid health advocate now living in Chicago.

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What Causes Grey Hair?

Pluck one grey hair, and two more grow! This is actually untrue - along with the much-believed falsehood that grey hair is caused by stress or trauma. By age 50, most people have a significant amount of beautiful grey hair. But what causes this?

Actually, hair begins as white - and then melanocytes, the cells in hair follicles, generate the pigment melanin, which gives color to hair. The more melanin, the darker the hair. The less melanin, the lighter the hair. In youth, the melanocyte cells continue their jobs, giving color to our hair. Overtime, however, the cells begin to conk out and stop producing the pigments, which leads to grey hair. Graying usually begins at the temples, and then slowly moves from front to back.

Generally, the time one begins to go grey is determined by genetics. However, other factors can cause grey hair, and even a premature onset of graying.

One common factor is Vitamin B12 deficiency, also known as pernicious anemia. Our hair follicles actually require Vitamin B12, because without it, they are deprived of oxygen-rich blood, as Vitamin B12 is responsible for the production of healthy red-blood cells. To avoid this, make sure to consume Vitamin B12-rich foods daily, such as cheese, eggs, and shellfish.

An overactive or underactive thyroid gland can also result in premature grey hair. This is because the thyroid gland affects the functioning of the activities of the pigment-producing melanocytes. Experts advise those under the age of 30 who have a lot of grey hair to get their thyroid activity checked by a medical professional.

A condition known as Vitiligo can also cause pre-mature graying. This auto-immune disease occurs when the melanocyte cells are destroyed, resulting in de-pigmented areas on the skin and premature grey hair.

Smoking tobacco products may also contribute to the premature graying of hair. Smokers are found to be four times more likely to have grey hair. According to Ralph M. Trueb, skin specialist, the chemicals in smoke may damage the DNA in hair follicle cells and constrict blood vessels that supply the follicles.

Also, according to Harvard Scientists, the failure of melanocyte stem cells to maintain the production of melanocytes could cause the graying of hair.

Nichol Clark, hairstylist at Mockingbird Salon in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, also indicated one other reason for grey hair. "If there is a buildup of hydrogen peroxide in the body, that can also cause grays," said Clark.

Statistically, the chances of going grey increases 10-20% every decade after 30 years. Biological sex may determine the onset of grays for some, as it is said that men typically go grey by the age of 30, while women tend to go grey by the age of 35. Race and ethnicity may also play a part as it is said that those of European or Middle Eastern ancestry tend to go grey before those with African or Asian ancestry.

Some wrongfully say that a career in politics causes grey hair. For instance, onlookers often blame the graying of American presidents' hair on their stressful jobs in office. However, what is actually happening is the president has finally reached the age when hair would typically grey, with the heavy stress job being a mere coincidence. For instance, President Obama, at age 47, is finally ripe for grays. This further dismantles the "grey hair is a sign of stress or trauma" folktale.

Many of these fore-mentioned factors do make the onset of grey hair seem connected to unfortunate circumstances of disease, toxins, or deficiencies. Whatever reason brings on the grey, it is a lucky bag of silver for those who get to sport it, and should be treated with the utmost respect with hair products made specifically with grey glory in mind.

Debrah Morkun is a writer, poet, and certified yoga instructor. She began going grey at the age of 17, and was excited by this sign of wisdom. She happily lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Visit http://www.gutzygray.com.

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