Aging Over 50

Today's age management medicine doctors are geared to reverse the complications of aging. We want you to chase your grandchildren, not suffer on the sidelines in the disability section.

Be sure to enlist the help of a certified physician in any specialty, and rest knowing that age management medicine is an American Medical Association (AMA) Board Certified specialty. We routinely free you of obesity, chronic metabolic syndrome, and their best friends: heart disease, stroke and Type II diabetes. How do we do that?

The first step is to define your Top 3 health goals:

1. Weight. How much do you weigh now? How much did you weigh when you were at your best weight? Then, simply subtract to determine exactly how many pounds you want to lose.

Picture this: It is reasonable to weigh as much as you did when you were in high school. See and feel yourself like you did back then. Don't let anyone tell you to be less than what you want to be, because you can and will feel awesome at that weight, and no one knows that better than you. You need to feel great! And if that means that you need to lose 165 lbs, then that is your goal! Go for it!

2. Waistline. What is your waistline now? What was it when you were at your smallest waistline? Then, simply subtract to determine exactly how many inches you want to lose.

Picture this: All that extra weight in your waistline is not fat under the skin. It's covering your liver, leading to fatty liver. It's surrounding your kidneys, adrenal glands, spleen, and 27 feet of intestines! Imagine that picture now! And vow to lose it, because it is killing you by causing chronic inflammation.

3. Body Composition. You want to increase % lean muscle mass and decrease % total body fat. That's everyone's goal! To achieve this requires attention to two things: food and exercise.

Eat to decrease chronic inflammation, and exercise to burn fat even when you're not working out. When you do these two together, you change your metabolism.

4. Correct hormone imbalance. If your thyroid gland is underproducing thyroid hormone, your clinical picture may be one where you get cold easily, have thinning hair, brittle skin, and loss of eyebrow growth towards the temples. Whether you are male or female, your testosterone level may be too low, your estradiol may be too high. Elevated levels of insulin, cortisol, and HbA1c permeate the American culture.

If you are actually eating better than you did as a teen, and you even work out, but cannot lose one single pound, that is generally because your hormones are imbalanced. Once they are restored, all other systems can reset to get results! There is otherwise no single thing that comes close to giving you the kind of metabolic balance you need to achieve your goals.

5. Teamwork. It is always better to have a team behind you, rather than trying to go solo to achieve your health goals. That is why a personal trainer and a dietician can affect advanced change in you. It's also why your doctor has such a pivotal role in your success.

Having a team approach to healthcare works in many settings such as the operating room, the intensive care unit, cancer care, and addiction medicine. Telemedicine also adds the flexibility and customization to fit all your daily needs by email, Skype, or the telephone. Therefore, the most comprehensive approach utilizes a full-time physician, dietician and exercise kinesiologist team.

The bottom line is that you will need to change your lifestyle to achieve your health goals, and you do not need to do it by yourself. Attaining your health goals is best accomplished with a team that has a specific plan for you each day, and is there to ensure your success all the way! So keep pushing onward and forward to age well!

Dr. Aranda is a Fellow with Cenegenics?, experts in age management medicine. This is a reprint of her original article here.

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