aging

What is Resveratrol?
Resveratrol is a natural compound found in the skin of grapes (therefore, also in red wine) that is claimed to drastically reduce aging related illnesses, including heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes. The claim behind this is that you will live longer and live a healthier life.  Dr. Oz discussed taking resveratrol in supplement form on Oprah raving about how he takes it and how pleased he is with it. This supplement is supposed to make you healthier while helping you lose weight and prolong your life. This supplement is supposedly able to counter the multiple negative effects of a high fat diet.

There are now many resveratrol supplements on the market that contain a very high concentration of resveratrol.  In fact, to receive the amount of resveratrol in these supplements you would have to drink 1,000 bottles of wine a day, which obviously would not be recommended.

Dr. Oz explains to Oprah how a calorie-restricted diet could be key to anti-aging. (via Oprah.com)

Recently on Oprah, medical guru Dr. Oz discussed the benefits of purposefully restricting your daily caloric intake in order to add more years to your life. A calorie-restricted diet also lowers cholesterol, blood pressure and body fat, all of which, when they are high, are linked to a host of diseases. In fact, Dr. Oz says calorie restriction is the number one way doctors say we can extend longevity.

“The data that we have in rodents and some larger animals now indicate you can probably extend your life expectancy by up to 50 percent potentially from doing this,” says Dr. Oz.

So exactly what is calorie restriction? On a calorically-restricted diet you are reducing the amount of your daily calories by 20 to 25 percent, by consuming foods that are nutritious, low in calories and unprocessed. Tons of fruit, vegetables and moderate amounts of protein with small amounts of fat comprise the basic features of the calorie restriction way of eating; while sugar, processed foods, most saturated fats, flours and some grains are avoided.

All the baby boomers are getting older and becoming the face of our population. In fact, it’s estimated that by 2030, the proportion of the U.S. population aged 65 and older will double to about 71 million adults (1 in every 5 Americans!). With this population getting older, there are will be much more diversity than we have ever seen before. This diversity will greatly affect our economy, including unprecedented demands on public health, aging services, and the nation’s health care system.

Therefore, chronic disease prevention should be on the forefront of yours and health professionals’ minds alike. Chronic diseases, sadly characterized with a heavy economic burden due to associated long-term illness and diminished quality of life, all of which add up to an increase in health care costs. Although the risk of disease and disability increases with advancing age, there are ways to help yourself now.

You can see the signs of gaining weight – shopping for clothes isn’t as fun as it once was, you go to button your favorite pair of pants and notice the “extra” spilling over your pants, and finally you jump on the scale to confirm the bad news, you’ve gained weight. Midlife weight gain is common, in fact many Americans gain a pound or so every year as they make their way through young adulthood, often ending up flabby and chubby at 40-years-old.

Why do so many people gain weight in midlife?

- Hormones, although will only contribute for about 2-5 extra pounds.

- Poor lifestyle choices, overeating, reduced amount of exercise, and stress are the remaining factors that contribute the most to that weight gain.