My journey into anti-aging medicine started in 2007. I was at a health camp and I came across the most amazing guy. We started talking and the conversation drifted to the aging process. I guessed his age at late 40s. It turned out he was 79! I could not believe it. His skin was taut, he was well muscled and he walked like a cat. I was nowhere near his age and he had twice my energy, twice my health and looked twice as healthy. Whatever it was, I wanted some of it. This started my study of anti-aging medicine.
I tracked down A5M in Australia and attended their foundation course and training seminars. My world was turned around. I assumed you just had to grow old gracefully, giving up the gifts of youth, but no, here was a recipe to hang on to some of those gifts. I met the most amazing group of integrative medicine doctors, who I need to publically thank for their patience and motivation in directing me to so many other places to learn so much. I completed the post-graduate diploma in Anti-Aging Medicine through the Integrative College of Medicine.
To put things in perspective, have you wondered why a 90 year old in Okinawa is mentally and physically active, still having great sex, has high energy levels and is free of disease, while Uncle Oscar, at 75, is in the rest home needing help to get dressed, go to the toilet, be told repeatedly who is visiting him and taking a fistful of drugs twice a day. I used to think this was genetics or luck. I now know that both these things play a part, but only a small part. It is about being as well as you can be and giving the body what it needs to realize its full potential. Anti-aging and true wellness are the same thing.
As we get old our hormones decline, or is it a case of our hormones decline so we get old. The same could be said of all our bodily systems. The reality is that there are so many natural substances that can keep us young, if we only tap into them.
Anti ageing medicine is about comprehensively testing our body: finding out what is working really well and what is not and then addressing the weak spots to retain your energy, strength, health, looks, youth and performance.
Case Study 1
Tom was a 55 years old executive, with a high performing company. Over the previous 12 months, he had experienced a lack of energy and motivation. When he looked in the mirror, the face of an old man looked back at him. He used to pride himself in his ability to be ahead of the field in terms of his ideas, the speed of his mind, his ability to keep going and his general zest for the next challenge. These things were slipping away. He felt bloated after meals and invariably fell asleep in front of TV, most evenings. Even more disturbing to him was his performance in the bedroom and he had developed man boobs.
Tom’s tests showed a number of disturbing trends. He was low in stomach acid, so was not digesting his food properly. He was low in zinc, which accounted for a number of his symptoms. His testosterone was being aromatized to estrogen, which explained his man boobs. He was suffering from hypothyroidism, which explained his lack of energy and slow metabolism and a host of other issues.
He was well motivated to turn things around and a treatment plan was devised to achieve his identified goals. The treatment plan involved a change in lifestyle, diet, herbs and nutrients and an exercise programme. We worked towards increasing and normalizing hormone levels, optimizing body systems and removing toxins from the body.
After three months, I was extremely pleased that Tom’s blood pressure had come down, his doctor had taken him off statins for his previous high cholesterol. He had lost 15 kilos of fat and he was looking and feeling great. Tom was extremely pleased that his performance in the bedroom had improved significantly and that his man boobs had diminished.
Case Study 2
Laura was becoming more displeased every month with what she saw in the mirror. Those few kilos added every year, were now part of a decidedly plump Laura. In addition, she just did not feel right. Her energy levels had dropped and she had lost much of her drive. She was starting to develop rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in her hands and the characteristic stoop of osteoporosis. She lamented the things she had taken for granted just a few years before.
She had tried countless diets, creams, supplements and beauty products. None of them seemed to work long term. Any weight she lost came back, with a bit more, and the lines on her face were becoming more pronounced. She felt she needed something more. She wanted to turn back the clock and recapture what she once had. Her doctor had suggested a drug for her RA, but she really did not want to take drugs on a regular basis.
Laura was well motivated and we went through the testing protocols and her history. She was clearly eating the wrong foods, suffering from chronic inflammation, an acid/alkaline imbalance, parasites, an imbalance in gut flora, high blood pressure and was overweight. These factors were in turn driving other symptoms.
Laura decided that she wanted to use the bio impedance test as the key benchmark for her wellness journey. We recorded her biological age, verses her chronological age (she was 17 years older than her chronological age). Her muscle to fat ratio was well out, as was her ideal bodyweight. Based on her goals, we developed a plan.
The plan involved herbs and nutrients to correct deficiencies, eradicate parasites and balance hormones, a dietary plan, an exercise plan and some key lifestyle changes.
Laura did not notice any changes for two weeks and became despondent. We went through how long it had taken for her body to get into this condition, and that it would take a bit longer for the body to detox, repair and reenergize. At the four-week mark, Laura noticed an increase in energy; an improvement in sleep quality and her skin blemishes had cleared significantly. Over the next few months, she noticed several positive changes as her pain levels reduced and her energy and motivation increased markedly.
At the six-month mark, Laura was only 3 years older than her biological age, had lost 20 Kg and was looking and feeling younger.
Note: The anti ageing program normally runs for three months.