anti-aging

"Doesn't that have something to do with all the ads for anti-wrinkle cream you see everywhere?" It's easy to associate this term with creams that promise to make your skin look younger. There are a lot of people who see those creams and anti-aging as the same thing. In fact if you looked it up online, most of the definitions that you find will reference anti-aging as "the lessening of the effects of aging, especially on the skin". This definition is commonly used by an industry that will soon reach $2 Billion in annual sales in the US market. There is a lot of clout behind thinking that this is what anti-aging is all about.

This aspect of the skin care industry is frequently linked to scams, frauds and dishonest business practices. Some of the business entities who want to profit from the widespread desire that people have to look young for as long as possible use the Anti-Aging label as a way to make a sale. It has become a product category that contains brands that make implausible claims, misinterpret research and offer promises with no proof. The irony is that the same market that spawns these nefarious business enterprises also inspires the scientific research that doubles the life-extension knowledge base every four years.

Our topic question takes on a completely different outlook when posed to the scientific and medical community.

"Anti-Aging medicine is a medical specialty founded on the application of advanced scientific and medical technologies for the early detection, prevention, treatment, and reversal of age-related dysfunction, disorders, and diseases." Dr Ron Klatz

Medical researchers have made several significant breakthroughs in longevity science recently. It is now much easier to prevent certain age-related diseases like diabetes and heart disease. Despite the successes, there are some in the medical community who argue that stopping disease is not actually anti-aging. They maintain that the treatment of a disease may lengthen a life but it will have no impact of the ageing process itself. They suggest that what anti-aging is really about is promoting the maximum optimized life.

The "maximum optimized life" answer deals with lifestyle choices and responsibility. The idea here is that even if modern medicine did deliver the technology and treatments to help us live from 125 to 150 years, (a frequent anti-aging medicine prediction), unless we adopt healthy lifestyle choices, we won't be here to take advantage of them. There are dozens of clinical trials and case studies that validate the reality that certain lifestyle changes can extend the length of life.

It is widely known that smoking is the single largest cause of preventable death.It is becoming common knowledge that the risk of heart disease and a large number of cancers can be dramatically reduced with changes in the diet.Moderate regular exercise has been scientifically proven to add years to life.Taking supplements, getting adequate sleep, and learning to manage stress are all lifestyle choices that can add years to your life.

My personal answer is:

"Anti-Aging is a holistic regimen of practices designed to improve the quality, maximize the longevity and optimize the satisfaction and fulfillment of a person's life"

It's more than skin deep. The most effective approach to slow the negative effects of the aging process is holistic. The holistic or "mind-body-spirit" approach,. acknowledges the fact that our thoughts, emotions and actions can add several enjoyable years to our lives or can just as effectively shorten our lifespan dramatically. Scientific research and clinical trials have established mental and emotional practices, which can produce life-enhancing effects over time. An anti-aging regimen supports those effects.

A regimen is an ongoing system of choices, decisions and actions that are chosen to provide certain desirable results. The elements of a long, healthy and fulfilling life will be different for every individual. Your efforts are not simply to live longer but also to fully enjoy the best that life has to offer in your remaining years. You can shift from taking a chance on products to help you to look younger to adopting a set of choices that will always keep you looking and feeling younger than your years.

Austin Grady is a Certified Anti-Aging Coach who coaches middle-aged adults to look and feel young, healthy and sexy into their 90s. Austin offers insights and mentoring on a wide variety of anti-aging subjects through online coaching sessions and through his website http://www.anti-aging-coach.com/.

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