The President and the presidential candidates all release their medical information so we can keep track of their health. I guess they want to make us feel secure that our leaders are in tip-top condition to continue their leadership. Well, I'm here to fill you in on my recent doctor visit where I found out that I'm truly Aging Backwards.
I'll let you in on a little secret, first. I avoid going to the doctor as much as I can. I do get my well-woman checkups, but that's about it. I really never get sick, so there's no reason to spend time at the doctor.
A few months ago, I saw an incredible presentation about bio-identical hormones by Dr. Sangeeta Pati of Sajune Medical Center and Spa in Orlando, Florida. In her presentation, she spoke about some case histories of a few of her patients. One was 36 years old and one was as young as 14. So, I started thinking, "If I'm Aging Backwards at almost 50 without ever being tested, imagine how young I'd be if I have something out of balance and I get it balanced out?"
Dr. Pati sent me to a lab where they drew vials and vials of my blood. A week later, I drove down to Orlando for my consultation. Seriously, I was petrified. I hadn't had a comprehensive exam with blood tests since I was pregnant 18 years ago!
Turns out, though, that I really am Aging Backwards! I found out that I have the hormones of a 35-year-old and the bones of a 25-year-old. And you know that "good" cholesterol (HDL) that doctors are always recommending we get up to 40? Mine's 104! I can tell you how it got that high: through more than 30 years of consistent exercise.
The great news is, it's never too late to start exercising! Studies prove it! According to one study, a group of 25 elderly volunteers aged 65 and older (average age 77) did one-hour sessions of strength training in a gym twice a week for six months using standard gym equipment and doing three sets of ten reps for each muscle group. The researchers then compared cells from the thighs of the elderly group to thigh-muscle cells from a group of young people whose average age was 22.
The researchers were expecting the workouts to improve strength, but what they were not expecting were dramatic changes at the genetic level. Simon Melov, director of genomics at the Buck Institute in Novato, California and co-author of the study said, "The genetic fingerprint was reversed to that of younger people - not entirely, but enough to say that their genetic profile was more like that of young people than old people."
Come back soon for more anti-aging secrets, tips and shortcuts from Aging Backwards!