Natural, Organic or Both? · your weight goal? Try sleeping it off. Scientists studying the effects of sleep and weight loss found that dieters who were able to sleep 8.5 hours a

Natural, Organic or Both?PAGE 20

Eating for Your Skin PAGE 28

Eating Right on the Go PAGE 14

As Old as You Feel PAGE 24

growing youngMARCH/APRIL 2015

the art of®

2 THE ART OF GROWING YOUNG March/April 2015

3

Contents4 From the Editor

31 Ask the Expert

5 Nutritional News

6FitnessSpring into Action – Everyday Workouts at Home

12LifestyleOvercoming Apprehension to Change

14Nutrition

Family Health22 The Importance of Clubs

24 As Old as You Feel

26 Real Men Eat Salad

28 Eating for Your Skin

The Art of Growing Young® is published six times a year by Lifeplus International, PO Box 3749, Batesville, Arkansas 72503, United States. Copyright © 2015 Lifeplus International

20Herbs & SupplementsNatural, Organic or Both?

Features8 The Healing Power of Flowers

16 Understanding Your Metabolism

Eating Right on the Go

“Let this be the season when you stop dwelling on negative thoughts that have kept you from achieving your goals.”

Spring is traditionally the season when we open our windows to let in the fresh air and sweep out the dust and dirt that has accumulated over the winter. Spring cleaning clears away clutter and reinvigorates our homes so that we may better enjoy the spaces in which we live. This year, I urge us all to spend a little time applying the principles of spring cleaning to ourselves as well.

What better time to look inward and clear away our own mental clutter than the season of new beginnings? Let this be the season when you stop dwelling on negative thoughts that have kept you from achieving your goals. When the sun comes out and flowers begin to bloom, embrace nature’s beautiful restoration process by restoring yourself.

Clear away the clutter in your mind by allowing yourself to forgive. Throw out old habits that prevented you from achieving goals, and embrace new ones that will help you reach your dreams. Stop negative thought patterns and focus on positive ones.

Maintaining this kind of focus will allow you a fresh start on the road to wellness. Dust off your sneakers and start moving toward your fitness goal, literally. Now that the weather is warming up, you can get back outside and enjoy your favorite physical activities, focusing on the joy of playing football, the thrill of mountain biking or the pleasure of any other activity you enjoy.

If your goal is to eat healthier, there simply isn’t a better time than spring to clear all the junk food out of your pantry and stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables from the local farm stands that will be opening any day now.

No matter what your goals are this year, I believe that if you use this time of cleaning and restoration to sweep away negative thoughts and replace them with positive ideas, there is no limit to what you can accomplish!

Spring Cleaning


5

Morning workouts Start early to maximize the benefits of your workout. According to research, engaging in physical activity in the morning helps reduce blood pressure and revs up your metabolism so you can burn more calories all day long. Morning exercise also appears to boost cognitive function and mental acuity for up to 10 hours. Don’t waste the brain boost sleeping in bed. (But be sure you get at least 7.5 hours of sleep every night!) If you can wake up just 30 minutes earlier most days of the week, you can squeeze in an effective morning workout and experience a happier, healthier lifestyle.

Vision problems? Protect your vision by drinking more green tea. A lab study has uncovered evidence that the flavonoids in green tea may help protect against a range of vision problems. From cataracts to agerelated macular degeneration, one particular flavonoid, gallocatechin, helps safe guard your vision by accumulating in the retina where it acts as a natural protection against the damaging effects of overexposure to sunlight. This works in the same manner as nutrients in other visionfriendly foods (spinach, kale, etc.).

Did you know that your diet may help protect your hearing? New evidence suggests that consuming 700 mcg of folic acid may help prevent hearing loss. If the prospect of hearing your grand children laugh for years to come isn’t enough to entice you into loading your plate with spinach and lentils, what about the health of your heart and brain? Folic acid also helps reduce homocysteine levels in the body. Homo cysteine is an amino acid thought to con tribute to an increased risk of heart disease and maybe dementia.

Hair losing its luster? If your hair is losing its luster, look for a solution that works from the inside out. Eating salmon, sardines and other omega3rich foods has been shown to help seal in your hair’s shine.

Struggling to reach your weight goal? Try sleeping it off. Scientists studying the effects of sleep and weight loss found that dieters who were able to sleep 8.5 hours a night were able to lose twice as much fat as those who slept a scant 5.5 hours a night. The group of healthy sleepers were also shown to better retain muscle mass.

Nutritional News

Fitness


7

Spring into Action – Everyday Workouts at Home

Aerobic activity (the kind of exercise that burns fat and boosts cardiovascular health) is any moderately intense activity undertaken for a prolonged period. This includes walking, running, skiing and other traditional activities. But it also includes many everyday activities such as the chores you will be doing around the house during spring cleaning.

Before you pick up a broom or feather duster, turn on motivating music. Recent studies have shown that loud music with at least 120 beats per minute can help increase the rate at which you exercise. The faster you work, the better your workout. For best health results and a clean home, create a 30minute playlist of peppy music and clean the entire time it plays.

Vacuuming, dusting, cooking, washing, spring cleaning – all these things can get the hear t pumping and burn calories. Vacuuming provides an added ab benefit. The forward and back motion of vacuuming will work your arms (be sure to switch halfway through to give both arms a workout) and your abdominals. Turn it up a notch by flexing your muscles one at a time, beginning at your pelvis and moving into your upper abs. Continue flexing as you vacuum the whole house.

The trick is to keep moving, to not stop between chores and to not try to make things easier for yourself. Be creative and keep your body moving: squat to clean under tables, dance from room to room, move your body and really get into it. Try doing lunges

while vacuuming and stretches during dusting.

The more trips you make up and down the stairs, the better you work out your legs and butt muscles. Instead of making a pile of things to be taken upstairs later to be put away, make a trip for each shirt, toy or dish you come across. At a rate of burning 500 calories per hour walking up and down stairs, you can see how quickly your cleaning can turn into a great workout.

Add extra resistance to your workout by wearing ankle or wrist weights while doing housework. This will add even more intensity to your workout and help build and tone muscles.

The more strenuous the chores you do and the more intensely you perform them, the greater the workout will be. The effort it takes to mow the lawn with a pushmower will provide a far more intense workout than doing dishes or folding laundry.

All chores, no matter how big or small, can provide benefits to your body. While standing in front of a sink full of dishes or an ironing board, straighten your back and tighten your stomach muscles for 10 seconds at a time.

For many of us, modern life just doesn’t leave time to get the extra exercise our bodies crave. That’s what is so great about getting an everyday workout through chores; you don’t have to make extra time during the day. Most of us already spend plenty of time each week cleaning the house.

Finally, as long as you are spring cleaning your house, why not spring clean your life as well? Let this be the time of year you reevaluate your fitness routines. What are you doing that isn’t effective? What activities do you wish you could be doing more of? Clean out bad habits that may have accumulated during the year and start fresh. This is a perfect time of year to clean not just your home but your life as well. With a clean home and fresh, healthy habits, your spring and summer are sure to be warm and enjoyable.

Vacuuming 30 minutes = about 95 calories

Washing and Waxing the Car20–25 minutes = about 100 calories

Washing Windows20–30 minutes = about 100 calories

Mopping1 hour = about 195 calories

Raking Leaves1 hour = about 100 calories

General Moderately Active Housework1 hour = about 150 calories

It’s time for spring cleaning. Did you know that this annual event is also a great chance to spring into action in order to get in shape with easy everyday workouts at home?

Feature Article


9

Through a process of trial and error, ancient civilizations were able to develop a basic knowledge of healing with herbs, berries and other plants. Later, this became a specialized job for shamans, medicine men and other healers. Tonics, teas, tinctures, poultices, pills, ointments, oils and more have all been made by these healers from natural ingredients for millennia.

Before people developed methods for accurately examining and testing the medicinal properties of plants, the effects of plants were often slowly realized over time. In many instances, people discovered the power of a plant accidentally when noticing a causeandeffect relationship. For example, in the 1700s scurvy was a common, and often fatal, ailment among British sailors who spent long periods at sea. Then a doctor from a British ship realized that the men who ate limes while at sea did not get the disease. Seeing this effect, he ordered barrels of limes to be included as part of the ship’s rations, and the scurvy outbreak effectively

ended – hundreds of years before science discovered that vitamin C (ascorbic acid) was the active agent.

As scientific methods and procedures have improved, studies have been able to show that many plants do contain chemical compounds capable of supporting many various healthy processes. In fact, many of today’s modern pharmaceuticals are derived from natural plant sources. Beginning with a natural source, such as an herb or flower, scientists extract and purify compounds that are tested for their effect, often relying on the known traditional uses of that plant for certain healing properties.

Flowers owe their power to certain compounds found in plants that are generally labeled phytochemicals or phytonutrients. These consist of substances such as flavon oids, terpenes, isoflavones, saponins, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and thousands of other compounds that support the health of the human body. These nutrients

are obtained from the healthy fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices that doctors and nutritionists have been telling us to eat more of for years.

One reason the power of flowers is often ignored is that they are simply not always fully understood. Often scientists have not been able to identify exactly which compounds in many plants (flowers, herbs, teas, foods, etc.) are responsible for their positive effects.

Today, many different plants are used as additives in foods. For instance, guarana, ginseng and the amino acid taurine are all common ingredients in energy drinks because of their natural abilities to boost energy and mental alertness. An extract from seaweed, called carrageenan, is used in products like ice cream and toothpaste to improve texture and consistency. The origin of aspirin can actually be traced back to Hippocrates, the father of medicine, who realized that a bitter willow bark extract,

The healing power of plants has been known and used for ages. Medicinal herbalism is one of the oldest forms of treatment in the world. Long before they practiced what is currently referred to as conventional medicine, healers used natural remedies to treat all manner of ailments. Flowers, leaves, berries, barks, seeds and roots have been used for centuries and continue to be used.

The Healing Power of Flowers

© 2015 Lifeplus International

◊These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a diversified diet.

FY Skin Formula

FY Skin Formula tablets provide a carefully selected mixture of key vitamins and minerals shown to sup port and maintain healthy looking skin.◊ The blend of nutrients in this unique supplement is derived from a specific marine extract. In addition, FY Skin Formula contains Vitamin C known to sup port the formation of collagen, blood vessels and cartilages as well as Zinc, Vitamins D & E which contribute to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.◊ FY Skin Formula is a great nutritional toolkit which may help you maintain a healthy looking appear ance!

Beauty begins from within!

Only available in Italy.

Not available in Italy.


which we now know as salicylates, eased pain and reduced fevers. Well over a century ago, chemists at the German company Bayer acetylated salicylic acid (which means adding a 2 carbon frag ment), and aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) was born. It wasn’t until the 1970s – when the biochemical family of compounds in the body known as prostaglandins was discovered – did we discover the mechanism by which aspirin works, preventing the formation of several of these prostaglandin compounds, which mediate pain and inflammation.

Some other examples of popular plants and their uses are garlic for cleansing and supporting healthy circulation, and pepper mint tea to support healthy digestion. The list of plants and plant parts that have healthsupporting properties, including leaves, roots, seeds, bark, flowers and their essential oils, is seemingly endless.

The amazing, natural healing power of flowers and other plants has spawned many herb and plantbased schools of medicine, including herbal medicine, Ayurvedic medicine,

Unani medicine and traditional Chinese medicine. Herbal and plantbased treat ments continue to play an important role in altern at i ve and complementar y medicine today.

There is no question that natural remedies are undergoing a renais sance. These remedies, however, are not always the best option. It is important to consult with a medical doctor as well as practi tioners trained in botanical medicine if you are interested in

pursuing natural remedies for a specific problem. Being informed and knowledgeable is critical if you wish to harness the power of flowers for yourself.

11

“The origin of aspirin can actually be traced back to Hippocrates, the father of medicine,

who realized that a bitter willow bark extract, which we now know as salicylates,

eased pain and reduced fevers.”

Lifestyle


13

With such strong yet polarized options, there is no denying the fact that change is a powerful force in life. By accepting and embracing the wonderful things that change can bring, you can attract a life full of happy surprises.

Some people with naturally adventurous spirits are able to accept change with little or no fear. If this does not describe you, do not worry. You are not alone. Many people are intimidated by making even the smallest change that may disrupt their normal routine. Some people are just plain scared of change. Our openness and acceptance of change and the need for it fluctuate greatly throughout our lives depending on many factors, including age, education, family status, job status and much more.

The size of the upcoming change also affects our willingness to accept it with a positive outlook. Larger changes such as moving across the country for a new job, taking the next step in a relationship, starting a family, finding new friends with similar interests or improving your lifestyle can be some of the most challenging. However, they can also be the most rewarding.

For tunately, for those of us who f ind even small changes such as beginning a new work out routine to be daunting, there are tricks we can use to overcome our apprehension.

If you know that you have trouble dealing with changes in life, it’s always best to start small. As you become more and more comfortable with small changes, the bigger ones will also feel less daunting.

Often the root cause of feeling the need for change comes from a desire to live a healthier, happier life. This is true even if there are also feelings of apprehension pre sent. If you feel the need to change your health, begin by looking for small ways to make that happen. You could change the route you take to work in order to avoid stressinducing traffic jams. Or you could cut one fastfood meal out of your diet per week. Let the small changes (and the way you feel afterward) help align your focus to the positive aspects of change.

Each step will make larger changes easier as even small changes will help your brain become comfortable with the process of doing things differently. Eventually, larger changes won’t feel so challenging anymore, and you will find new doors opening up in your life everywhere you look.

When a change is so big that you just feel like you will never be able to make it, try taking multiple small steps toward your ultimate goal. For example, if your goal is to change your diet but you are uncomfortable with new and different dishes, begin with small changes such as adding a small salad to some of your meals. Or buy one new healthy food item every time you go to the grocery store. Slowly substitute healthier choices for unhealthy ones until your daily diet is full of delicious fresh fruits and vegetables.

You can also support positive changes in your life by surrounding yourself with positivefocused, likeminded people. Finding someone with similar goals can help a great deal as you change together. Working

with a partner is great motivation for both people to stick to a plan. Having someone to support you during your time of change will do wonders for easing feelings of apprehension. And not only that, but spending time with people who focus on the positive aspects of change will help you attract even more opportunities for wonderful, lifealtering changes into your life.

From the hardly noticed to the life changing, embracing changes of every size can be a rewarding experience. Think about the side effects of something as small as the last time you changed your hairstyle. Compliments from friends probably boosted your selfesteem. Perhaps that gave you the confidence in yourself to make yet another change.

Even the most adventurous person wouldn’t argue that changing a career midway through life is an easy change to make. But if you are unhappy with what you are doing, stepping out of your comfort zone and changing to a new career path that will make you happier is a change that needs to at least be considered.

Perhaps most important, always remember that it’s never too late to change. Or should we say, it’s never too late to change our focus? No matter how you might feel about where you are in life, don’t allow yourself to feel as though it’s too late to change for the better. You are never too old (or too young, for that matter) to experience the benefits of change.

Depending on how you choose to view the world around you, change can either be a beautiful, positive force in your life, or it can be a scary, daunting challenge. If you focus on the positive attributes, change can lead you on wonderful adventures in life. But if you focus on negative attributes, such as angst and your concerns, it can paralyze you with fear.

Overcoming Apprehension to Change

Nutrition


15

Every family’s diet is uniquely influenced by traditions, personal preferences and lifestyle choices, but the building blocks of a healthy and nutritious diet are the same for every person on earth. Whether you live in the tropics or the desert, inland or on an island, your body ultimately uses the same nutrients for fuel and support. No matter where you live or how hectic your lifestyle is, there are a few tricks and tips that will help ensure your body receives that support.

Even busy people who are always on the go can still make healthy choices when they are ready to eat. Start by slowing down, even for just a few minutes. Busy people want to eat a candy bar while hurrying from one end of the office to the other. If you’re one of these people, try the 10minute rule. Wait 10 minutes after the craving to get something to eat. You may be surprised to see the craving disappear, which means you weren’t actually hungry but feeling the side effects of a busy life. Stress often manifests as cravings for unhealthy foods.

If you do still have a craving after 10 minutes, drink an eightounce glass of water before eating anything. Finally, if you’re still craving that candy bar or chips, be prepared and open up your stash of healthy snack foods that you keep in your desk: mixed nuts, apple, peanut butter, etc.

Whether it’s a snack or a meal eaten on the go, slow down and enjoy what you are doing. Merely slowing down and gaining some awareness of what you’re eating can make a huge difference. No matter how busy you are, find time within time. Even a meal in a cubicle can be enjoyed more by turning off your computer, listening to relaxing music and taking a few deep breaths between bites. It also helps the digestion process if you remember to sit up straight and relax while eating.

Planning ahead may be the most important trick to eating right while on the go. If you know you are going to have an extrabusy day, take a few minutes the evening before to pack a satisfying lunch and a few extra snacks that are healthy and delicious enough to keep you from heading to the snack machine.

If you have to eat out, be informed and make smart decisions. Start by examining the menu for the healthiest options. Choose vegetables, tofu, fish or chicken over beef or pork, and look for items that are steamed, broiled or baked instead of ones that are panfried, sautéed or deepfried. Don’t make the mistake of thinking healthy decisions end with the entrée. Consider your side and beverage options carefully as well. Side salads are a better choice than fries, and

drink water or unsweetened tea instead of soft drinks, shakes or highcalorie sweetened coffee drinks. A homemade smoothie can be a delicious and healthy treat, but restaurant versions tend to be much less healthy because they include extra sugar, fats and calories.

If you find something on the menu that is almost, but not quite, a healthy choice, don’t be afraid to make a special request. You can ask for no added salt or MSG or for egg whites only. Baked potatoes or salads can be substituted for french fries or creambased soups. And gravies, sauces and dressings can be served on the side. These are reasonable requests that no server or cook will have a problem fulfilling, and such substitutes can significantly reduce the amount of calories you consume.

Don’t be fooled by meals pretending to be healthy. A salad can be a delicious, healthy choice, but not when it is served with crispy chicken and drenched in a heavy dressing. A “salad” like this may contain more calories than many entrées on the menu. To transform a choice like this into a real salad, once again, don’t be afraid to make a special request. Ask for a skinless baked chicken breast instead of fried chicken strips, and swap the heavy dressing for a lighter vinaigrette served on the side.

Everyone is busy these days. Parents work long hours; children have school, homework and sports; teenagers fill their days with social events – family schedules are so cluttered that there barely seems time enough to eat. Unfortunately, to compensate for those busy schedules, too many people are grabbing quick and easy fastfood meals while on the go. This happens despite so much research showing the wide variety of health problems, including obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and others, associated with a fastfoodfueled life.

Eating Right on the Go

Feature Article


17

The first step to supercharging your metabolism is understanding exactly what it is and how it works. The metabolic process is composed of a set of lifesustaining chemical transformations within all the cells in your body. Your body requires energy to keep these chemical transformations happening. In order to sustain energy, the body burns the calories you consume.

Your metabolic rate refers to the amount of energy (calories) your body requires to function. Your basal metabolic rate (also called resting metabolic rate) is the number of calories your body requires to perform these functions at rest. The more active you are, the more energy is needed and therefore the higher your metabolic rate will be. In essence, an active lifestyle requires more calories to sustain your body.

A healthy lifestyle is one in which your metabolism, caloric intake and activity level are all in sync. If one of these factors is off,

your body will not be able to function at optimum levels.

When you supply your body with more energy than it needs, or when your activity level does not burn enough calories, the balance is thrown off. Often, the result is that your body stores the excess energy as fat and your body’s metabolic processes slow.

Overindulging in foods that are high in fat and highglycemic carbohydrates, such as candy, soda, chips and other junk foods, can slow down your metabolism. When your metabolism slows from consuming too many of these unhealthy foods, the effect is twofold. Not only do these overly rich foods take extra energy to burn off compared with healthier, lowfat choices, but the process takes even longer because your metabolism has slowed.

Knowing that eating too much too often can cause your metabolic rate to slow, many

people falsely believe that always eating less is good for the body and metabolism. This isn’t true. Overeating is certainly not a healthy practice, but undereating can be just as unhealthy. And skipping meals will also cause your metabolism to slow down. Much like other areas of health, moderation is a key factor.

Even though your body is extremely well suited to take care of itself and maintain its internal processes, there are some things it simply doesn’t understand. For example, your body doesn’t know the difference bet ween a meal skipped due to food scarcity and a meal skipped because you are trying to lose weight.

When you skip breakfast in order to consume fewer calories as a weight loss tactic, your body, not understanding the skipped meal was intentional, will enter “starvation mode.” When this happens, your body will preserve energy by slowing your metabolic rate. A

From family genetics to gender, there are multiple factors that contribute to your personal metabolic rate. Even though you may have inherited your mom’s slow metabolism, you are not stuck with it. Fortunately, nobody’s metabolic rate is locked in. With a few tips and tricks, anyone can stoke their metabolic fires to lose weight and get healthier.

Understanding Your Metabolism

Daily BioBasics™Our nutritional powerhouse; a potent balance of essential important

nutrients to provide targeted support to overall health.




Daily BioBasics™ nutritional drink provides a refined combination of ingredients to support you in staying at your physical and mental best. Packed with a truly expansive selection of vitamins, minerals,

herbal extracts and fiber, our innovative and proprietary blending process ensures optimal product performance with every serving.




19

slowed metabolic rate will make it even harder to burn off the calories ingested the next time you eat.

This problem is compounded by the fact that it’s human nature to overeat when we are too hungry. In modern times, this often manifests as indulging in lessthanhealthy convenience foods from vending machines and fastfood restaurants.

To prevent this from happening and to keep their metabolic rates up, some people find it helpful to eat four to five small meals every day. However, because every per son’s body is unique, you may find that your body functions best on the more tradi tional three meals.

Regardless of how often and how much you eat, your meta bolism will be slowed down by a diet full of overly fatty, processed or sugary foods. It can also be sped up by eating a diet filled with healthy foods such as fresh fruits and vege tables; spices; lean grassfed meats and wild fish; or healthy amounts of beans, nuts and seeds if you follow a vegan lifestyle.

There’s no denying that the foods you choose to eat are an extremely important part of promoting a healthy metabolic rate. But exercis ing

is the best way to boost your metabolism. Physical activity burns calories and builds lean muscle mass. The more lean muscle mass you have, the more calories you will burn – even at rest! And, as we know, your metabolic rate is heavily influenced by the amount of calories your body burns.

Fo r m a x i mu m m e t a b o l i c change, it is important to combine resi stance training with cardio va scular exercise. If you think of cardiova scular exercise as build ing a fire that stokes your metabolic rate, you can also think of resis tance training as throw ing gasoline onto that fire. Some researchers have shown that by adding just a few pounds of lean muscle mass to your body, you can drasti

cally increase the amount of calories burned with every hour of cardiovascular exercise, as well as increase your metabolic rate at rest.

Your metabolic rate is not static. It fluctuates from day to day and hour to hour. With a healthy diet and regular physical activity, you can help ensure your metabolic fire is burning strong all day long!

19

“When you skip breakfast in order to consume fewer calories as a weight loss tactic, your body, not understanding the skipped meal

was intentional, will enter “starvation mode.” When this happens, your body will preserve

energy by slowing your metabolic rate.”

Herbs & Supplements


21

The term organic most generally refers to any substance that comes from the earth, or from a life form produced by the earth. In terms of food and agriculture, the organic label has come to signify food produced without the use of manmade pesticides or herbicides and grown in soil that has been enriched with compost rather than with synthetic fertilizers.

Many governmental bodies require producers to obtain special certification based on governmentdefined standards in order to market food products as organic. Germany, the United States, Switzerland, China and Japan are just a few of the many countries around the world that require such certification. While the specifics of the laws may vary from region to region, the intent is the same: if a product is marked as organic, it should not contain synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers.

The term natural is related to, but not the same as, organic. Often, the term natural is not as regulated as organic. For example, the Food and Drug Administration in the United States, which regulates laws that govern food production, does not have any specific rules concerning the term natural.

Despite the lack of an official definition, the term natural still has definite connotations that a savvy shopper should understand. Most often, the word natural on a label signifies that the product contains no synthetic ingredients. Sound simple? So if you want to avoid manmade foods, all you have to do is look for the word natural on a label, right?

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple, especially when it comes to vitamin supplements.

A molecule of vitamin C produced by an orange is indistinguishable from a molecule of vitamin C made in a laboratory. Both are used by the body in the exact same way. Vitamin C can be produced by microbial fermentation of fructose or other sugar, mak ing it biosynthetic, meaning that it is synthesized by a living microorganism system. In this case we have a substance that has been produced by synthesis that is “bioidentical” to its equivalent contained in a fruit or vegetable.

Not every natural versus synthetic scenario is the same. Natural and synthetic forms of substances such as amino acids and vitamin E can vary greatly. Human enzymes will fit only the righthanded form (Dform) of most sugars and vitamin E, for instance, while the lefthanded form (Lform) of most amino acids is most acceptable by the body. When these compounds are made by chemical synthesis, they come out as a mixture of right and lefthanded molecules. In some cases, our enzymes simply ignore the type they can’t use, but in other cases the wrong molecules gum up our enzymes and inhibit their function. So the most important issue to consider is the metabolic activity of each type of nutrient being considered.

It would be nice if everything we consumed were natural and organic, but sometimes that just isn’t feasible. In other cases, it’s not even recommended. Some substances synthesized (especially biosynthesized by

microbial fermentation) in a laboratory may be preferable to their natural counterparts. After all, a laboratory can offer excellent quality control with highquality processing techniques, reliability and little to no environmental contamination.

Understanding which ingredients are best requires good judgment, a little research, and lots of practice and experience. For example, magnesium is a critically important mineral. More than 300 enzyme systems in the human body require magnesium in order to function properly. Unfortunately, the mineral’s availability in the food supply has been steadily decreasing as organic methods of agriculture have been replaced by chemical methods that are more efficient in overall production but sometimes produce foods with less nutritional value. To compen sate, it can be prudent to consume supplements with the broadest possible spectrum of all the known nutrients, covering an array of bioavailable forms – synthetic, organic and inorganic – depending on their quality and validated value in studies.

Popular health literature and food labels use the words organic and natural to market their products. Due to the confusing nature of the words, the best way to know what is in your food is to read the packaging closely and know the laws of your country and local area.

Pick up nearly any item in your local health food store and you are bound to see badges and callouts signifying the product is natural, organic or both. Because the terms are used so often and in so many different ways by different people and products, understanding what the terms “natural” and “organic” actually represent can be very confusing.

Natural, Organic or Both?

Family Health


23

Kids of all ages can benefit from joining regular group activities, such as scouts, clubs and sports teams. Regular group activities teach children and teenagers valuable life lessons that they might not experience in the classroom or at home.

Afterschool activities allow kids to let off steam outside the classroom that they have been sitting in for hours. Staying calm and focused for a full day in the classroom can be challenging for many kids. At the end of the day, they are ready to burst. Afterschool sports are a wonderful outlet for all the pentup energy. Activities like these have an added benefit for working parents who need a few extra hours before going home and taking care of their children.

Playing team sports has many physical and mental benefits for children and teenagers. Aside from the obvious fact that being active helps maintain physical health, team sports also teach young people about being a good sport, overcoming adversity, and being a team player and leader. These are critical skills that they will use later on in their adult and professional lives. But kids need your help to ensure they learn the right lessons on and off the court.

If your child doesn’t enjoy team sports, there are many other activities that he or she can benefit from. Playing a musical instrument in a band will help your child discover the art of practice, patience and persistence. Drama clubs are great for shy kids who need a little extra practice learning how to be comfortable in groups.

Scouting clubs are designed specifically to help foster many important characteristics in children and teenagers, from spiritual and character growth to responsible citizenship and personal fitness. Scouting activities are done in ways that allow kids to have fun while growing into confident, competent adults.

Clubs, sports and other group activities offer much for growing children. Whether the lesson is how to win gracefully or the importance of helping out close friends, the rewards will benefit them all throughout their lives.

Regardless of the activity, be careful not to put too much pressure on your child. Adults and children alike can easily get too caught up in winning. Of course, winning does feel good for both parents and children. But there are important lessons to be learned from losing as well.

No matter how much you want to protect your child, he or she will be disappointed at times throughout life. The disappointment may be in losing a game or not reaching a new level in scouts. These smaller, controlled disappointments teach them how to accept greater ones later in life, such as being passed over for a promotion or maybe experiencing a failed marriage. These sad, and sometimes inevitable, parts of life will be easier for your child to overcome if he or she learns how to lose with grace. It can also be very important for them to understand how proud their parents are of them for trying.

Always remember that as the parent, you are the role model. Even though you may tell your child the importance of being respectful on the court or athletic field, if he or she witnesses you screaming at the referee, berating the coach or taking over club meetings, your child will be more likely to engage in similar inappropriate behavior.

With college on the horizon, many parents focus on encouraging their teenagers to study more and play less. These parents believe that focusing as much time as possible on academics will help guarantee a successful college application. As important as studying is, there are other factors in life that will also influence a child’s success in school, work and more.

The Importance of Clubs

Family Health


25

As Old as You Feel

In late 2014, a pair of researchers from University College London and the International Longevity CentreUK further showed how important this saying may actually be. After interviewing 6,489 people, the researchers found that people who reported feeling older than their actual age experienced a higher mortality rate. Those who reported feeling younger than their actual age experienced a lower mortality rate.

With this knowledge in mind, take a moment to truthfully reflect and answer the question: How old do you feel right now? Now answer this: How old do you want to feel?

Of course it is not possible to go back in time to visit your early 20s. However, with the right mental outlook and focus, a healthy diet and proper selfcare, now more than ever you are only as old as you feel.

The basic stages of life are slowly shifting. Centuries ago men and women married and had children while still in their teens. As advances in health are made and lifespans prolonged, these events are happening later and later in people’s lives. Now people are marrying later, and it is becoming more and more common for couples to have children and start families while in their 30s and 40s.

These changes and others like them, such as changing careers multiple times, going back to school after children leave the home and staying physically active for much longer in life are influenced greatly by rising life expectancies. At the end of the 19th century, the average life expectancy in Western

Europe was only about 37. Now, most industrialized nations have averages of 75 or higher. When you think about it, our average Western life span has just about doubled in one century. Of course, we need to keep in mind that these age “averages” are also influenced by infant mortality, which has declined as longevity has increased.

Advances are made every day in medicine, nutrition, health and other sciences that give us the ability to not just live longer, but to stay physically and emotionally healthier later into life. Now more than ever it is possible to be as young as you feel if you focus on a healthy life that includes proper diet, exercise and social supports.

It has become common knowledge that as we age, many aspects of better health are influenced by the “use it or lose it” principle. That is to say, if you don’t use your muscles, they will atrophy and diminish. If you don’t regularly engage in activities that occupy your brain, your cognitive abilities will suffer. It is actually quite easy to give your brain a workout. Simply pick up a book, play a card game, do a crossword puzzle, work on your computer, learn a new language, start a new hobby or engage in conversations with new people. An active mind is a young mind.

Remaining as young as you feel is far easier when you maintain a positive frame of mind. Focusing on the aches and pains that often come with aging is a sure way to attract more pain into your life. However, focusing on how good you feel after a workout or how proud you are that you were able

to avoid eating junk food will help attract more healthy successes in your life that will leave you feeling young, healthy and happy.

Speaking of being happy, science has shown us that laughter really is strong medicine; it literally makes you feel good. And when you feel good, it is much easier to feel young. Maintaining a positive frame of mind will help bring positive experiences into your life, such as recapturing moments from your youth. Laughter also helps chase away depression, which can stifle the desire to stay young at heart. A positive outlook is the guide to a younger life.

Staying as young as you feel is also easier when you are surrounded by the love of your close friends and family. Nurturing these close personal relationships has numerous benefits in healthy aging. Staying close to friends and family naturally creates a positive support group, which in turn leads to physically and mentally stimulating activities. Playing games with friends, going out to eat with family and engaging in other group activities helps you stay active and connected to the world. Loving relationships keep you connected to life and keep you feeling young at heart.

Rising life expectancies and breakthroughs in medical science are keeping us healthier, longer. It is now entirely possible to run a marathon or climb a mountain late into your life. If you live your life as young as you feel, you are sure to experience a life full of joy and happiness.

At age 73, Otto Thaning successfully swam across the English Channel. Eightyyearold Yuichiro Miura became the oldest person to climb Mount Everest when he made the trek just a few years ago. Cancer survivor Harriette Thompson completed the San Diego marathon at age 91. What do these people have in common? They all perfectly demonstrate the truth behind the saying that you are only as old as you feel.

Family Health

THE ART OF GROWING YOUNG March/April 201526

27

There’s a stereotype that single men can’t cook. There is also a stereotype that only women eat salads. But these are only stereotypes. Many real men can cook; moreover, they can cook healthy, delicious meals based around manly salads.

The basis for any healthy, manly meal is a fresh salad. When choosing your greens, the general rule is the darker the leaves, the more nutritious the food. Instead of iceberg lettuce (a popular choice in the U.S.) use romaine lettuce or spinach. You can always add a little iceberg lettuce for that satisfying “crunchy” feel. Then add some variety with kale, watercress, endive or any other greens. Grocery stores often carry premixed bags of greens that create a perfect salad base.

Once the lettuce base is in the bowl, dice up a few of your favorite vegetables. Bright colors are visually appealing and add a variety of textures.

If your manly instincts lead you to the deli aisle rather than the produce section, blend the two options with a small portion of chicken or fish. Putting a choppedup piece of baked or grilled skinless chicken breast on top of your salad adds protein, which helps fill you up, keeps you feeling fuller longer, and even helps build and maintain muscle mass. What could be manlier than that? However, don’t let the

meat overshadow the vegetables. Grill or broil a piece of meat about the size of a deck of cards. Then slice it thinly and add to the top of the salad.

Adding a few nuts or seeds will also help boost the amount of protein and healthy fat in your salad, which will help keep you feeling fuller, longer.

Finally, choose a light salad dressing such as oil and vinegar or a ginger or raspberry vinaigrette. Good quality olive oil is one of the most healthsupporting foods on the planet.

It ’s hard to get burned out on salad because the options are limitless. Once you have your basic recipe down, mix it up with something special. Try adding black olives and salsa for a fiesta salad; shrimp, pineapple and shredded ginger for a sweet and sour salad; Kalamata olives, red onions and feta cheese for a Greek salad; or smoked salmon and toasted almonds for something more unique.

Making a salad is so easy there is no reason not to have one with every meal. But there are more reasons for this than simple convenience! There is evidence that eating a small, lowcalorie salad at the beginning of your meal may help reduce the total amount of calories you eat over the

course of the meal. Salads are wonderful for weight loss and healthy weight management.

Salads can also contain some of the healthiest fats available. The monounsaturated fat found in olive oil, avocado and nuts (all tasty salad additions) appears to help your body absorb protective phytochemicals, like lycopene from tomatoes and lutein from dark green vegetables. The basic nutrients found in salads work synergistically to create a supercharged healthy meal.

Salads also quickly boost the number of fruit and vegetable servings you consume per day. A single salad can contain multiple servings of vegetables. One large salad can nearly satisfy your entire recommended daily amount.

With so many healthboosting vegetables, there is no reason not to choose salad for your next meal. And there is no excuse for not eating them, because they are readily available at nearly any restaurant, are inexpensive (some fastfood restaurants offer them for a few dollars) and are easy to make (a green salad at home takes less than five minutes).

Single men don’ t need to l ive of f of prepackaged foods, because real men know how to make delicious, filling salads.

Walk down any frozen food section in any supermarket and you will quickly see just how many ready-made meals are marketed specifically toward bachelors. They come with big portions, few vegetables, and lots of added salt and preservatives. It’s almost as if marketing departments think that men are not only incapable of cooking, but that they also don’t want to eat anything remotely healthy.

Real Men Eat Salad

Family Health


29

To better understand the importance of your skin, let’s first review its makeup. Skin is composed of three primary layers: the epidermis, dermis and hypodermis. The very outermost portion of the epidermis is the part we show off to the world. This section is made up of dead skin cells that are constantly sloughed off and replaced. This layer is your first defense against germs and air and water contaminants. It also protects against bumps and scrapes while locking in moisture and natural oils.

Your skin is also a mirror of your state of health. When you’re poorly nourished, physically or emotionally stressed, or chronically fatigued, it shows up on your skin. To help your skin look its best, you can nourish and protect it externally with oils, lotions and other emollients, and stimulate and cleanse it with friendly surfactants and exfoliants. You can also protect your skin from the inside out by eating foods containing nutrients that help ensure healthy, vibrant skin through all of its layers, not just the one you see.

Like every part of the body, your skin is vulnerable to free radical attacks. Free radicals can enter the body from any number of sources – environmental pollutants, stress, smoking, illness, alcohol, chemical additives – and accumulate in all your tissues, including the important components collagen and elastin. Collagen and its companion, elastin, are proteins that are very important structural components of skin and other connective tissues. They act kind of like glue and as a lubricant in your skin, holding tissue together but also allowing fibers to slide smoothly over each other. Without them your skin would be neither firm nor pliable. Elastin’s main job is to help keep your skin supple and flexible.

Protect your skin from free radicals by ensuring your body has an ample supply of free radicalfighting antioxidants. For this reason, the recipe for healthy skin starts with plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices.

Potatoes, bananas, lentils, chili peppers and tempeh are all rich in vitamin B – a nutrient family that has been shown to help keep skin smooth and wrinkle free. Vitamin B deficiencies can cause symptoms similar to dermatitis and sunburn. Dry, scaly skin; dandruff; red, itchy sores; and premature wrinkles are all common problems caused by a diet lacking in adequate amounts of B vitamins and, of course, the important oilsoluble ones like vitamins A, D, E and K.

Lycopene (a carotenoid found in tomatoes and other red fruits, including guava, papaya, watermelon and rosehip) is one of the most powerful carotenoids in terms of neutralizing free radical attacks. Several studies have also shown carotenoids to be effective in protecting against the inflammation and redness associated with sunburn. In one study, volun teers who took a daily tomatoextract supplement found lycopene to be an invalu able defense against UV damage to the skin.

Also important to preventing sunburn is an adequate dietary intake of vitamin D3, usually in the form of supplements. People who have insufficient levels of vitamin D3 are more prone to sunburn because sunburn produces the most vitamin D. If you already have enough, your skin is less likely to burn when exposed to the ultraviolet rays of summer sun.

Fresh fish, especially deepocean, coldwater fish, may be especially beneficial for skin. Omega3 fatty acids, found in abundance in these kinds of fish, are repeatedly shown in clinical studies to help protect skin from sun damage. Omega3s are also being studied for their antiaging effects on the skin, as well as their ability to protect against sunrelated skin conditions. One study showed that daily doses of omega3s for three months significantly reduced sensitivity to sunburn. Taking the supplement also reduced an important marker of UVinduced DNA damage.

Nonfish sources of omega3 fatty acids are flax (linseed), kiwis, lingonberries, acai berries, grassfed lean meats and fortified foods or supplements.

Another skinboosting food also happens to be a decadent treat: chocolate. A longterm study of the effects of high flavanol cocoa found that taking a daily dose of the antioxidantrich dessert favorite yielded remarkable results for women. In the study, women drank either a high flavanol or low flavanol cocoa powder dissolved in water for twelve weeks. The high flavanol group showed significantly healthier skin.

Ingestion of high flavanol cocoa led to increased blood flow in cutaneous and sub cuta neous tissues, and increased skin thickness, density and hydration. UVinduced irritation was also significantly decreased in the women who ingested high flavanol cocoa, meaning overexposure to the sun had less of an effect on their skin. Other cosmetic benefits included a considerable decrease of skin roughness and scaling.

Finally, for healthy, glowing skin, never underestimate the importance of fresh, pure water. Many people have found that just increasing the amount of water they drink leads to healthierlooking skin after just a short time. Many experience increased flexibility and reduced hunger from consuming more water too.

Your skin is your first defense against germs and illness, and it’s one of the first things people notice when they meet you. A diet rich in a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and antioxidantrich herbs, spices and teas will help protect your skin so it can protect you.

SKIN-BOOSTING NUTRIENTS

Even though it is often the first thing people notice about us, many of us hardly think about the health of our skin. We do this even though our skin is actually a critically important organ that performs lifesustaining functions.

Eating for Your Skin

• Omega3s • Carotenoids • Antioxidants • Flavanols

• Zinc • Vitamin B • Vitamin C

DISCOVERYAn anti-aging supplement combining a traditional Chinese herb extract

with cutting edge science.




Lifeplus Discovery is based on a pure and concentrated root extract of the Astragalus herb. This proprietary blend combines additional herbal extracts to create what we believe to be a truly exciting

new addition to the Lifeplus product family!




31

Does Exercise Really Boost Energy Levels?Even though you may feel physically tired after an intense workout, aerobic exercise actually increases your body’s energy stores. Once you recover from the initial workout, you do in fact have more energy. Here’s how it works: The human body stores its energy reserves (adenosine triphosphate, or ATP) in tiny organs called mitochondria, where it is produced. The amount of mitochondria in your body is directly related to the amount of physical exercise you engage in. The longer and more frequently you engage in physical activity, the more mitochondria your body will produce and, consequently, the more energy you will have. Lowtomoderatelevel activities may be especially beneficial because they will allow you to work out for longer periods of time before needing to rest.

Why do I feel physically tired when I’ve had a stressful day?There is ample evidence showing that our physical and emotional states are closely intertwined. Researchers continue to find more and more evidence that our feelings can have a major impact on our health. Perhaps no emotional state has been more studied than stress. Too much stress felt for too long may begin to cause physical fatigue. And that’s not all. Some statistics estimate that up to 90 percent of all doctor’s visits are due to stressrelated illnesses – it’s apparent that too many highstress days in a row can cause more than just energy loss. Preventing stress by exercising, eating right and making sure you get a good night’s sleep are three easy ways to help safeguard your health and maintain the energy levels you need to live your life the way you really want to.

Ask the Expert

How do I avoid gaining back the weight I’ve lost while on my diet?The problem with dieting as the sole way to control weight is that we invariably stop dieting. Going back to old eating habits will almost always cause a person to regain that lost weight. Even worse, if a person didn’t exercise while dieting, some of the weight loss may have come from muscle that, when gained back, will be in the form of fat. A much more efficient way to control weight is to adopt a healthier lifestyle. The key word here is healthier. Many small, nonintimidating steps will lead to huge results. Commit to eating less junk, exercising a little bit more, eating more servings of vegetables every day or making any other easy change. Once that healthier lifestyle step feels like second nature, add another, and then another and then another. Weight control won’t be a concern because your healthier lifestyle will leave you feeling and looking great.

Proanthenols® 100Support your body in protecting itself from oxidative stress!◊

A high-quality formulation based upon 50 years of research, Proanthenols is built upon Real OPCs, concentrated extract from specific grape seeds and certain types of pine bark found in southern France.

This synergistic formula also includes Vitamin C, which is shown to contribute to the protection of cells from oxidative damage.◊







6710

Documents

Natural, Organic or Both? · your weight goal? Try sleeping it off. Scientists studying the effects of sleep and weight loss found that dieters who were able to sleep 8.5 hours a