Proactive Anti-Aging- a little insanity is all it takes!

“If we couldn’t all laugh we would all go insane?” Who said that? If you remember-welcome to Senior Ville!

Jimmy Buffett reminded us that it’s all about attitude. And then went on to say, “If we weren’t all crazy we’d all be insane.”

Laughter is one of the proactive keys to staying young. Numerous studies demonstrate a link between a sense of humor and improve health. Chronic stress, anxiety and depression directly affect our immune system and when the immune system is compromised we accelerate ageing.

Telomeres a compound structure at the end of our chromosomes act as an aging clock. Throughout our life our cells replenish themselves by copying themselves. Each time the telomeres get shorter and eventually they get so short they can no longer do their job which is to protect our chromosomes, They are like the cap on the end of a shoe lace. Once the cap is broken the shoelace begins to fray.

Telomeres have more to do with biological aging than chronological aging. This means that stress which compromises our immune system affects the life of the telomeres. The immune system normal gets compromised as we age so stress only accelerates the process. One of the best ways to reduce stress and thus reduce the aging process is laughter.

Here are some of the health benefits of laughter:

 

Health Benefits of Laughter

• Boosts the immune function by raising levels of the human growth hormone and cells that produce disease-destroying antibodies
• Boosts the respiratory system and improve  circulation by dilating the inner lining of blood vessels (thus increasing blood flow), and strengthens other cardiovascular functions
• Increases muscle flexion
• Lowers blood pressure
• Reduces stress hormones (cortisol, epinephrine, and dopac)
• Triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers that can also alleviate depression

Now here’s a joke to make you laugh. Yes it’s a little stupid and yes it’s a little off color, but remember if we weren’t all a little crazy we would all go insane.

Patient: Doctor, I was cleaning my glass eye and accidentally swallowed it.

Doctor: OK. Lean over and spread your legs.

Patient: (Leans over and spreads his legs).

Doctor: My God! This is the first time, in all my years of practice, that I've ever seen an asshole looking back at me!

 Now be honest -It did make you laugh! Laugh and laugh some more and your telomeres will thank you! Staying young in simply a matter of attitude!

Check out my herbal nectar Pep Berry Rob – it’s designed to support immune functioning using a combination of immune boosting herbs in a base of natural berry and honey.

http://www.doctorlynn.com

Doctor Lynn

A Weed to Keep You Youthful!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I bet you thought I was going to write about that weed that every one experienced in college. Is that what got your attention? Try this weed instead and be pro-active with your aging!

Watercress- it’s actually a weed! But it’s not just any weed-it’s packed with antioxidants and is great in a salad, steamed and sautéed. You can find it growing alongside streams and riverbeds in nearly every U.S. state. Although I would suggest you go to your local health food store where you find it in the produce section.

Around 400 BC Hippocrates located the first hospital Kos near a stream so that he could have watercress available for his patience’s. It is low in calories, but high in antioxidants. It’s also high in Vitamin K which helps to strengthen bones and helps to limit neural damage to the brain, which is helpful in treating Alzheimer’s disease(and forgetfulness).
There's also vitamin C and vitamin A. Vitamin C provides infection-fighting power to stave off colds and flu, helps to maintain healthy connective tissue, and prevents iron deficiency. Vitamin A, also known as retinol, is essential for a properly functioning immune system. It also produces pigments in the retina of the eye. An absence of these pigments can cause night blindness.

Need a Detox? A study funded by the National Cancer Institute on smokers found that after eating watercress they excreted higher levels of toxic tobacco.

Further watercress helps to keep you cellular metabolic functions at peak. This improves the body’s ability to absorb and use calcium and vitamin B-complex.

We’re talking strong bones, good memory, improved eyesight and a clean body-mind!  Got to love Watercress! That’s Pro-active Anti-Aging!

Doctor Lynn

Here are two on my favorite recipes for Watercress.

 

Orange, Avocado and Watercress Salad. In a bowl mix 1 tp of orange zest and 3 teaspoons of orange juice, t tsp of olive oil and a dash of ground cumin. Toss trimmed watercress into the dressing and then arrange on two plates. Top with 4 rounds of naval (peel and pith removed.) Top with thin slices of avocados. Sprinkle a few hemp seed heart on top (gives a kick of omega!), or use any chopped nut or seed.

About 137 calories a serving.

Watercress Stir Fry Steak Salad - Ina medium pan heat 2 tables of olive oil. Add chopped 3 minced garlic and 1 teaspoon of minced fresh ginger. Sauté until fragrant. Add 8 oz. of stemmed watercress and stir fry. Throw in a squirt or two of soy sauce. Divide amongst two plates, Top with grilled skirt steak and a ¼ tsp of toasted sesame seeds.

About 314 calories per serving.

Doctorlynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com

Proactive Anti-Aging -What I Learned on My Vacation

 

 

 

Oh yes, the first assignment after returning from vacation; what did you do (learn) on your vacation?

I discovered the beauty of the chateaus of the Loire Valley. Some things never age or lose their beauty. The architecture and design is as beautiful today as it was hundreds of years ago. They stand as monuments to an era of wealth and opulence.

 

I stepped back in time as I visited the WWII memorial in Bayeux. Even though I was not alive during the war I could not help, but feel an emotional tug and an over whelming feeling of gratitude. My hope is that we never see another war, but sadly as long as humans have existed there has been fighting for territory and power. The desire to conquer is a powerful drive often led by men who feel inferior and so seek to impose a sense of false superiority by killing and destroying.

 

I learned why France is the home to Leonardo Di Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Seems the Italians were angry with him for his scientific endeavors. The French were only too willing to welcome him and make us of his contraptions. When he left Italy he brought with him in a leather satchel three paintings one of which was the Mona Lisa. He died in Le Clos in this bed.

 

Monet had the most magnificence garden and lily pond. Although his house was simple the grounds were exquisite. Later in Paris I was able to see the lily pond painting in the Museum Orsay. Although I have always admired Monet I now can feel the emotion and expression of the beauty he captured.  

 

There is more to Picasso than meets the eye. We went to the Picasso museum which houses the largest collection of Picassos in the world. We took a guided tour, which I would highly recommend. It changed my perception of Picasso forever. He was the eternal child.

It is through our senses that we experience the world. But it is the sixth sense that guides the soul and the soul is eternal. It never ages; it simply matures. The tapestries of the Lady and the Unicorn are not really that popular, but are worth the visit. The Clony Museum houses all six. The unicorn’s horn is believed to protect one from any disease or poison. So I presume that the unicorn is present to protect all the senses and thereby give us the full joyous experience of all the smells, sights, tastes, touches, sounds and intuitive notions of life.

 

Aging brings with it a dulling of the senses. The tapestries remind us that if we believe in the magic of the unicorn our sense of the world will always be youthful and playful and that is one of the secrets to pro-active aging!     

What did I learn? The world is a beautiful place full of interesting stories, places and times. The wonder of curiosity and the willingness to learn is one of the great secrets to staying young. You are never too old to learn something new. In two short weeks I studied history, art and the French language. It’s good to be a student! That’s Pro-active Aging!

Just keep walking and exploring!

 

Doctor Lynn

http://www.doctorlynn.com