It’s certainly a great marketing term, one that grabs the attention of a public looking to live longer. But does the term Anti-aging work against itself? Do I subscribe to the practices of anti-aging? Yes. Do I believe that these practices work? Yes. Does the term anti-aging turn off the interest of those only interested in medicine that they get through a prescription for each ailment? Of course it does! For those that could be a strong ally in improving someone’s health when partnered with alternative medicine (like your GP), the term “anti-aging” simply conjures up images of snake oil and a sneaky salesman.
Calling it what it is, Healthy Aging, is more appropriate when you realize we are not going in the opposite direction of aging (like “anti” suggests), but merely following the unreversible aging process in a path that avoids as many illnesses as possible. Some refer to this as “alternative” or “preventative” medicine. Terms that much more accurately describe what they are doing, giving an alternative to regular medicine and preventing disease. While I prefer these terms better than anti-aging, Healthy Aging is a term I find much more receptive to the physician down the street. It is a term that they are far more interested in participating in and would welcome a better collaboration with Preventative Medicine.
Our most successful routes to Healthy Aging are through hormonal therapy, food and environmental sensitivity testing and subsequent avoidance, heavy metal testing and detoxification, good diet(a huge topic) and exercise, avoidance/prevention/treatment of Metabolic Syndrome, proper supplementation (omega-3, vitamin d, anti-oxidants), and of course no smoking, avoidance of radiation or any of that bad stuff. These all lead to a lower stress and inflammation load for your body and less stress or inflammation from any source or pathway is not Pro-aging. As much as regular medicine has saved us for many reasons and gives us a pill for every ill, Healthy Aging involves not getting the health condition in the first place.
Come in and talk to us!