From this photo you can call me a veggie-head! This photo was taken back in 1997 when I was the vitamin/herb dept. manager at Wild Oats in Denver. Seventeen years later, I still consider myself a veggie-head, in terms of still “walking the talk” about uber living thru cutting-edge nutrition and fitness. My nutritional counseling passion started back then and today I work part-time as an Herbalist practitioner at Pharmaca (Integrated Pharmacy) and I specialize as a nutritional and fitness health coach. The main difference today, I focus my nutritional and fitness research on maximizing hormonal health and the youthful human growth hormone (HGH).

How do you look ten years younger?

Well, that depends upon which aging clock you focus on. When it comes to aging, there are actually two set of clocks. First, there is your chronological clock in terms of your physical age on this planet (i.e., 40 years-old).

The second aging clock is what is called your biological age, or organ reserve. In other words, how much “wear and tear” is left on your bodily organs? If you treat your body like a race car always on the go, but you’re using rancid, recycled bad oil, then your performance will be affected at some point, like a major breakdown (arthritis, weight-gain, heart disease, diabetes, premature aging aliments). To measure aging there are actually real accurate blood marker tests that are good indicators for how your body is aging. Your biological clock can actually be measured by various health markers like homocysteine levels (heart attack risk), c-reactive protein (bodily inflammation), and low-T.

And for women who are interested in measuring how well their aging. You can actually measure the length of your cellular telomeres. Telomeres are basically the body’s genetic aging clock that indicates how slow or fast your cells are aging. It’s not inexpensive. An another option is using proven natural remedies to slow down the aging clock and even reserve and restore your biological clock to more youthful levels. This is one of the areas I specialize using science based dietary supplements. Still the most efficient and impactful approach in slowing down the aging process is applying specific diet and fitness protocols to extend your telomeres and activating the youthful HGH hormone that is responsible for regenerating your body and mind while you sleep. Human growth hormone naturally declines as we age, but secondary hormone factors like IGF (insulin growth factors) are activated like an army to clean up the dead protein cells from everyday living and breakdown of muscle tissue.

Probably one of the easiest and least expensive ways to determine your health status is to check what I have termed “vitality markers.” Here are few basic questions to determine if you’re reaching your full youthful health potential.

Vitality Marker Checklist

1. Do you feel younger than your actual age?
2. Can you do all of the activities you enjoy without holding back, or without aches and pains?
3. Are you over-weight, or noticing a slower metabolism?
4. Do you regularly feel tired, or fatigue?
5. How is your sex drive?
6. Is the stress wearing you down?
7. Do you have any health issues (is your drug prescriptions increasing or decreasing?
8. How is your mood, anxiety levels?
9. Do you have food cravings (sugar, chocolate, salty) do you caffeinate often?
10. Do you exercise regularly?
11. Are you mobile, flexible, can you still dance (bust a move)?
12. How often do you or your family members get sick?
13. Do you have daily bowl movements? For every meal you consume?
14. Do you get regular uninterrupted 7-8 hours of sleep?
15. Is your vitality pulse thriving, or surviving?

You can begin a basic longevity lifestyle approach by incorporating what I call the “vitality inputs.” Your biological clock, or your anti-aging genetic potential is greatly affected and influenced by these “vitality inputs”:

Organic Diet – avoid chemical, GMO, hormone-ridden foods, eat low on the food chain: vegetables, fruits, nuts & seeds, and consume moderately foods that are high on food chain, where toxins, hormones, radiation levels are higher

Calorie Restricted Diet – studies show that CRD extends longevity (eat only 80% of caloric intake) Digestion uses more life force energy than any other organ, so preserving your energy for life activities, versus eating till your full Americana way

Stress, Adrenal Fatigue – manage stress with herbal adaptogens, versus sugar, caffeine, alcohol

Hormone Balance – Optimize youthful HGH, testosterone levels, detoxify from harmful exogenous estrogen hormones from food, plastics, environmental causes

Oxidative stress – neutralize free-radical cellular damage that causes inflammation, long-term inflammation causes organ tissue changes (disease), premature aging

Efficient Detoxification – regular, daily bowl movements is critical for limiting toxin build-up and free-radical exposure, effecting your life force “chi,” “prana” energy

Exercise – Regular exercise regimen, that induces perspiration and reaching your heart target rate

Mobility – having a fluid spine, stretching may not be enough, try (yoga, Pilates)

Happiness – ideally a creative reality where we are thriving, instead of just surviving

Sun Rays – the Hormonal Happy Pill: The ultimate life giver on the planet, without the 1,500 rays that are absorbed via the eyes, life on the planet would cease! Vitamin D is a critical hormone for hundreds of metabolic functions. And the most efficient form of getting your daily requirement of Vitamin D is thru its rays! Vitamin D is so critical for health that the RDA allowances have had to increase the daily requirements for Vitamin D a few times, as they finally recognize the critical health benefits. Research shows that most people are Vitamin D deficient, particularly if you live in the Northern Hemisphere (USA, Canada) during winter season. There is a reason why humans can only get Vitamin D via the sun, and more recently Vitamin D3 thru dietary supplement. Vitamin D2 fortified foods like in milk is not converted to usage able form D3. Want to stay young, cancer free, and have hormonal health, then get 20-30 minutes of solar sun per day, full body, or take D3 supplement and get your levels checked! You can get sun in morning, or afternoon to avoid high noon rays. Vitamin D is a powerful anti-oxidant against free-radical skin damage. Look at any culture (Russia, Norway, Siberia, etc) in the Northern Hemisphere where Vitamin D is limited during the winter, and you will notice the highest rates of alcoholism, depression and suicide! People that live in Southern Hemisphere are generally healthier and live much longer.

Trying to apply all of this information into a daily health regimen can be overwhelming and a bit intimidating. The most successful approach is to take small steps towards a healthy lifestyle. Also, another option is use a health coach, anti-aging expert like UberVitality to motivate you and show you the most effective approach to get successful results!