AGING
BENEFICIAL HERBS
- Echinacea boosts the immune system protecting the body against infection and disease
- Red clover improves overall health and relaxes the body
- Garlic enhances the immune system and protects the heart
- Siberian ginseng enhances energy levels and immune function, improves mental alertness, memory and cognitive abilities, increases blood circulation, and aids in the prevention of heart disease. Caution: Use ginseng only under the direction of an herbalist or a licensed healthcare professional if you have any of the following conditions: pregnancy, insomnia, hay fever, fibrocystic breasts, asthma, emphysema, high blood pressure, blood-clotting problems, heart disorders, hypoglycemia or diabetes.
- Ginkgo biloba has powerful antioxidant properties and is valuable for fighting age related conditions and improves mental functioning and the ability to concentrate
- Sarsaparilla is considered an anti-aging herb
- Peppermint leaf prevents congestion of the blood supply to the brain, stimulates circulation, and strengthens and clams nerves
- Gotu kola has a beneficial effect on circulation and may help improve brain function. It also has a calming effect on the body.
- Chaparral prevents the formation of free radicals, which helps to slow down the aging process and helps the body fight infection. It is also useful for treating arthritis.
- Catnip has mild sedative properties and aids in sleep
- Chinese green tea has superb antioxidant properties. Drinking 10 to 20 cups a day can provide protection against heart disease and many other illnesses
- Burdock root is a good blood purifier and soothes pain caused by arthritis, rheumatism, and backache.
- Licorice root relieves rheumatism and arthritis and is a common component of many herbal teas as a mild laxative. Licorice root also has anti-inflammatory properties. Caution: Do not use this herb on a daily basis for more than seven days in a row. Do not use licorice root if you have high blood pressure.
- Milk thistle protects the liver and kidney from damage, aids in treatment for depression and is an antioxidant.
- Nettle is rich in vitamin C and iron
- For age spots, apply a paste of chaparral directly on the age spot and cover at night with a gauze bandage.
- Cayenne (capsicum) and ginger strengthen the heart and are helpful for chest pain. Capsicum also helps in supplying nutrients to the brain.
- Kelp provides nutritional support to the heart and nervous system by supplying hypotensive and serum cholesterol lowering properties
- Lavender and thyme are antiseptic herbs that stimulate the skin
DIETARY RECOMMENDATIONS
- Eat a balanced diet that includes vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds, nuts, and high quality protein.
- Include in the diet garlic, onions, shiitake mushrooms, and pearl barley. These foods are good sources of germanium, which lessens free radical damage and is involved as a catalyst in the supply of oxygen to oxygen-poor tissue.
- Increase your intake of fiber by eating plenty of fresh vegetables, whole grains, bran, and oats. This will keep the colon clean. This is crucial for warding off degenerative diseases and slowing the aging process
- Foods that may help optimum brain function include shellfish, sardines, herring, and pilchards, dried and sprouted sprouts, seeds and nuts, apricots, apples, and blackcurrants, beets, carrots, and celery, oats, barley, and, brown rice, liver, kidney, and lean beef, brewer’s yeast, wheatgerm, molasses, basil, rosemary, ginger, licorice, and dried fruit such as figs, dates and apricots
- Foods that may help joint problems and muscle strength include strawberries, turnips and their leafy tops, lentils, poultry, fish (especially oily fish), celery, celery leaves, and parsley.
- Eat globe artichoke each day to stimulate your liver and help with digestion and eat chicory to stimulate the gallbladder to produce bile, which makes it an aid to liver function and digestion.
- Limit intake of alcohol, caffeine, saturated fat, salt, chemical food additives, and pesticides.
- Eat only when you are hungry, and cut your total caloric intake. Laboratory experiments suggest that life span may increase if caloric intake is decreased.
- If you are losing weight, do it slowly and safely. Crash diets that cause you to lose too much weight all at once are both dangerous to your health and sure to cause wrinkling of the skin on your face.
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENTATION
A well balanced diet is a more natural source of nutrients and it is best to get as much as possible from food. If you are not eating a varied mixture of the main food groups or foods high in a certain nutrient needed for your health situation then make up the remaining through vitamin and mineral supplementation.
- Beta-carotene: 25,000 IU taken every other day. Caution: Do not take if you are pregnant. Note: Recent studies have cast doubt on the benefits of getting beta-carotene through supplementation. The best way to take beta-carotene into your body is through foods high in beta-carotene, such as carrots, apricots, cantaloupe, papaya, mangoes, and sweet potatoes.
- Selenium: 100 micrograms, taken in 2 divided doses
- Vitamin C: 1,500-2,000 milligrams. Caution: Doses of vitamin C larger than 1,200 milligrams a day can produce diarrhea in some people.
- Vitamin E: 200-400 IU. Caution: If you are taking anticoagulants, you should not take vitamin E supplements
- Multivitamin/mineral supplement containing the Daily Values of all essential vitamins and minerals.
NON DIETARY TIPS
- Get regular exercise. Exercise is most important in slowing the aging process because it increases the amount of oxygen available to body tissues, a key determinant of energy and stamina. Try brisk walking and/or swimming.
- Improve your blood’s oxygenation and circulation with deep breathing exercises.
- Learn how to relax. Keep active and be enthusiastic about life. By keeping up your appearance, exercising every day, and being involved in hobbies and other activities, you can
- Keep your mind active. This is most important.
- Avoid tobacco and drugs
- Try to get 8 hours of sleep every night. Proper rest is important.
- Do not use harsh soaps on your skin. Do not use cold creams, cleansing creams, or solid moisturizing creams. These are hardened saturated fats that become rancid rapidly and then create free radicals, which can cause premature wrinkles. Free radicals can cause the brownish spots on the skin known as age spots.
- Stay out of the sun to prevent wrinkles. Exposing the skin to the sun also promotes free radicals.
- Try to avoid sleeping on your side. Sleeping on the side of your face can cause wrinkles over time.
- Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is an adrenal hormone that strengthens the immune system. It has been found to help prevent and treat many of the disorders associated with aging.
In some cases, herbal products can interact negatively with other medications. Such interactions can be dangerous. Herbal remedies are not regulated and their quality is not controlled. Moreover, while there is an abundant supply of information circulating about herbs, not much of it has been scientifically proven. Consult your physician. Informing your doctor and pharmacist of what herbal products you are using is just as important as letting them know what drugs you are taking. Your physician and the pharmacist on duty at your pharmacy can assist you in deciding which herbs
are safe.