A hot topic right now in the news, and one that is always on the minds of adults at some level, is aging. How can we prevent aging and retain our youth? There are plenty of gimmicks out there, one is Resveratrol, another is Mona Vi, and of course there are hundreds of options in the form of lotions, potions, and surgeries to spend your life savings on that claim to make you look younger. But do things such as facelifts make you look younger or just vain and fake?Current research has "discovered" a way to stay young without spending a penny. I say "discovered" with quotations because scientists haven't discovered this method, they re-discovered it. Or better yet, the knowledge was present and being practiced by certain communities of people all along, we just didn't know the mechanism of this method. What is this method of staying young? It is Calorie Restriction (CR).
What is Calorie Restriction? According to the journal Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, Calorie Restriction is "the reduction of macronutrient intake while maintaining sufficient micronutrient intake." In layman's terms: eating less overall carbohydrates, proteins, and fats while still getting all of the vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and amino acids that you need. Broken down to even simpler terms: EAT LESS CALORIES while getting MORE NUTRIENTS from your food.
How do you do this? Simple, eat less grains and dairy, eat more fruits and vegetables. Not rocket science, right? That is why I said the scientists didn't discover this, it is age old wisdom that we all have inside us. You know the inner dialogue. You go to McDonald's, order two double cheeseburgers for $2, and right before you swallow them whole, you tell yourself, "I shouldn't eat this." Exactly, you shouldn't, it is poisonous, calorie dense food with zero nutritional value. Your subconscious knows you shouldn't eat it, and reminded you right before your first bite. But you, you are a sucker for marketing and would rather spend hard earned money on garbage than health.
The health effects of practicing Calorie Restriction are many. Research has shown that Calorie Restriction provides our body with potent antitumor activity (Kritchevsky, 2002). It also causes loss of weight/reduced fat, decreased metabolic rate and body temperature, decreased free radical damage, and decreased insulin resistance. Calorie Restriction also increases our antioxidant defenses, increases bodily repair, and increases protein turnover rates (Masoro, 2007). Yet more research has shown that Calorie Restriction prevents Alzheimer's (Alom et al., 1995), osteoporosis, muscle wasting, and weakened immune and organ function (Matsumoto et al., 2000; Morley, 2001) .
So, how do you start? It's simple, just make the decision to eat less grains and dairy while eating more fruits and vegetables and you're on your way. All of these health effects can be yours. And you don't have to do it alone. There are people all over the world who have made the lifestyle switch. To link up with them in an online community and learn more, check out the following resources:
Calorierestriction.org
San Fransisco Chronicle
BBC News
Remember, in these times of economic and "healthcare" uncertainty, the only one who can guarantee your health is you. You must be your own advocate. CREATE YOUR LIFE. Make the right CHOICES at every crossroads. Choose NATURE OVER MANMADE. Until next time, LIVE WELL.
REFERENCES
Minor, R., J. Chang, R. de Cabo. Hungry for Life: How the arcuate nucleus and neuropeptide Y may play a critical role in mediating the benefits of calorie restriction. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology. 2009 Feb. 5; 299 (1): 79-88.
Kritchevsky D. Caloric restriction and experimental carcinogenesis. Hybrid Hybridomics. 2002; 21: 147-151.
Masoro, E. The role of hormesis in life extension by dietary restriction. Interdisciplinary Topics In Gerontology. 2007; 35: 1-17.
Alom, J., R. Galard, R. Catalan, J. Castellanos, S. Schwartz, E. Tolosa. Cerebrospinal fluid neuropeptide Y in Alzheimer's disease. Neuroscience Letters. 1995; 198: 1549-1551.
Matsumoto, A., B. Marck, D. Gruenewald, T. Wolden-Hanson, M. Naai. Aging and the neuroendocrine regulation of reproduction and body weight. Experimental Gerontology. 2000; 35: 1251-1265.
Morley, J. Anorexia, sarcopenia, and aging. Nutrition. 2001; 17: 660-663.
