Evaluating this length each year will result in a snapshot of how fast the cells, and you, are aging.  There are numerous therapies directed at slowing this process and keeping the cells and your body young.

The most important way to slow this genetic aging process is to achieve an ideal body weight through proper diet and exercise.  Body fat percentages of less than 22% in women and 16% in men are ideal for this anti aging effect. This is achieved through regular aerobic and anaerobic exercise, sleeping at least 7 hours per night, reducing stress and discontinuing tobacco products. Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy is an excellent way to augment this decrease in telomere length.

Oxidative stress shortens telomere and causes aging in cellular tissue. Decreasing foods that have an inflammatory effect on the body such as refined sugars, fast and processed foods, sodas, artificial sweeteners, trans fats and saturated fats is a great start in halting telomere shortening. Improving your diet and nutritional supplementation with a variety of antioxidants improves the bodies oxidative defenses and decreases oxidative stress which helps to slow telomere shortening. Adding foods like fresh uncooked fruits and vegetables, fiber, healthy fats, omega-3′s and high quality vegetable proteins will help preserve the telomeres length.

Levels of vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids and resveratrol have been show to improve telomere length. Reducing homocysteine levels via folate and vitamin B supplementation may also decrease the rate of telomere loss.

It is suggested that testing be done once a year to evaluate the rate of aging and make adjustments to nutrition, supplementation, exercise and other lifestyle modifications known to negativley influence telomere length.

Let us help you achieve the biological age you want and deserve with medically monitored diet, exercise, nutrition and supplemental programs at the MIAMI Institute for Age Management and Intervention.

Dr. Ivan Rusilko CSN, PT

Are you unable to function until you have had your morning cup of coffee? You are not alone. Many people rely on caffeine for that extra pick-me-up to stay awake and keep energized throughout the day. Caffeine can help you perform on days you feel groggy, but moderation is key. Ivan Rusilko DO, an osteopathic physician specializing in Medical Fitness and Nutrition at the MIAMI Institute for Age Management in Miami, Florida gives the facts about caffeine and how to safely decrease your consumption if you think you’ve had too much.  

With the numerous new diets, exercises and supplements becoming available in today’s market one must make sure that they don’t fall victim to a unique marketing strategy or slogan.

HCG stands for human chorionic gonadotropin and is best known as the infamous hormone that produces a plus or minus sign when a woman takes a pregnancy test. It is produced by the embryo soon after conception takes place to help in the development of the growing fetus

On top of helping the fetus grow, HCG can also help the body burn fat. It does this by stimulating the body to use stored fat as energy and not rely on dietary nutrients as much.  When it is added to an exercise routine and low calorie diet (500 cal/day) it can make for a superb weight loss regimen. The key concept here is the weight that is lost is fat and NOT MUSCLE.

Some other positive side effects associated with HCG therapy include increased energy without a sense of nervousness, the ability to think clearer, decreased appetite, improved sleep, and an increase in libido! But of course there are a few negative side effects like headaches and edema that are minor in nature.

So how does one obtain this wonder drug? Well even though it is a naturally occurring hormone it is still classified as a drug and a prescription from a doctor is needed. It can be produced in a lab or harvested from the urine of pregnant women… stick to the lab! The FDA has not approved HCG to be used as a weight loss treatment but it is not illegal and is used in numerous doctors’ offices nationwide.

As for the 500 cal/day diet I personally believe that there needs to be some wiggle room. God didn’t create everyone equal when it came to size, stature, and activity level. Those who are very active need to consume more to compensate for their activity level. The reasoning behind reducing calories is that your body is being supplied with over 2,000 calories of energy from the stored fat being broken down. This is also why appetite is reduced while on the regimen. If one were to consume only 500cal/day they would loose weight regardless… it is the kind of weight they would be loosing that is called into question.

One pitfall is that the body has a tendency to create immunity to HCG if one is on it for too long. Programs come in 40 day cycles with a 4 week break that is needed before you can start the protocol again.

Personally I think it is a great new technique to help shed those stubborn pounds. Be sure to follow the instructions of your doctor though to both do it safely and effectively.

Well to understand how we achieve that golden brown or the blistering red tint we must take a quick look at some basic facts:

Ultraviolet light (UV) consists of two energy wavelengths (UVA and UVB)

• UVA – longer rays that penetrate more deeply and slowly than UVB. The melanin in your skin absorbs the UVA rays and turns the pigment brown.
• UVB – shorter and more intense rays that stimulate the melanocytes in the skin to produce melanin. Major cause of burns and aging of skin as a whole.

Melanocytes produce melanin (brown pigment) through UV stimulation

• Everyone has the same number of melanocytes but we all produce melanin at different rates
• More melanin = Darker!

Ok so why do we need to produce melanin? When sunlight penetrates our skin it begins to destroy our cellular DNA. Intern our body increases its melanin production to act as a defense system to these harmful rays. The melanin migrates to the skins surface, combines with oxygen, and turns you that sexy dark brown… your tan!

If the UVB rays are allowed to penetrate all 5 layers of the dermis for an extended period of time the infamous SUNBURN will occur. A sunburn results in painful reddened skin which is the result of broken blood vessels that form on top of a tan. Severe burns can result in blisters, swelling, and further complications.

The stages of a sunburn usually follow a pattern similar to this:

-     Pre Burn – Blood fills the skins capillaries and produces that reddish color that blanches when you touch it.

-        1-5 hours- Skin turns redder and feels irritated.

-        12-24 hours- Peak of the pain, redness, and irritation.

-        Several days- The skin may peel and itch leaving this area more prone to further burning and complications.

Some say tanning beds offer the ability to decrease UVB rays and filter in only UVA ray but this has been subject to many arguments.

Granted a dark tan is a must when trying to look as sexy as possible in this day and age but one must be careful and remember that too much sun can result in wrinkles, age spots, and older looking skin. So be sure to take precautions like moisturizing and proper skin care when working on that eye catching Miami Beach tan!

Well Sarah you are definitely not the only person suffering from a lifelong bout with this problem. Close to 17 million people struggle with acne in the United States alone!

Acne arises from the blockage of the skins pores with oil (sebum) that is triggered by the over production of hormones in the body acting on sebaceous glands in the skin. There are many theiors as to the main causes of acne… all of which contribute in my opionin.

1.    Androgens, the hormones that are being over produced, are increased during puberty in both men and women which stimulate these glands to produce sebum (oil) .

2.    Hormonal factors seen in pregnancy or through the use of birth control pills can stimulate these glands as well and result in increased sebum.

3.    And who can forget genetics!! Genetics, like with everything else, plays a big role in the predisposition to develop acne.

So what is a pimple really? The “stuff” in a pimple is a collection of oil (sebum), skin cells, white blood cells, and bacteria in some cases. A pore that clogs but doesn’t become inflamed is refered to as a BLACK HEAD. If inflammation takes place you have yourself a WHITE HEAD that will eventually swell and burst as oil pours into the clogged portal.

Now there is a lot of hear-say about what worsens acne, causes acne, helps acne, etc…

Only Teenagers get it -> Ever age is susceptible to this problems from babies to the older folks. It is only worsened with hormonal changes that take place in the teenage years so it is more noticeable.

Acne is curable -> Unfortunately there is no definite cure as of now but there are numerous products that can control it and make it virtually unnoticeable!!

Your diet dictates breakouts -> Wrong! There isn’t a direct correlation between fatty foods or sweets causing  acne. Various allergies can worsen a ongoing breakout so if you notice when you eat something specific you break out… STOP… it is an allergy most likely causing the problem. Everyone should however practice a healthy diet in general!

If I wash my face 10 times a day I wont get break outs -> The more one washes their face the more they dry it out and irritate it making the problem worse! In the morning and at night is sufficient with a soft soap. Your body is going to produce oil regardless from within so don’t waste your time with 5000 face washes!!

Leaving a breakout run its course is the best approach -> Acne, if sever, can cause serious scarring so if you are prone to numerous breakouts have it checked out!

Stress causes acne -> Actually it is the opposite! Acne can be very stressful but as for stress causing acne there is no verified link.

Sex causes acne -> God I hope not! Testosterone, a major sex hormone, is a main player in breakouts but there is no link between sexually activity and acne breakouts.

The dryer my skin is the less chance I have of breaking out -> Our skin has a mechanism to fight dehydration… producing oil! What causes acne… to much oil production!! So avoid using things like Benzyl Peroxide, which dries the skin out, to prevent breakouts. Only use it when you are instructed too like when a bacterial component is confirmed. Washing with gentle soaps is a great route to take. Remember the dryer the skin the older the look also!

So Sarah as you can see acne is something that is here to stay but with proper management and a correct understanding of what it is keeping it under control is doable.

Old age… some people want to grow old gracefully and others don’t want to grow old at all!

As we age our bodies change and develop certain deficiencies that can be attributed to genetics or choices we make throughout our life.  Hormones (testosterone, progesterone, and estrogen) decline as we age resulting a plethora of symptoms that are attributed to old age.  The purpose of bioidentical hormone therapy (HRT) is to replace these hormones so your body can function properly. These hormones are structurally the exact same as the hormones present in the human body.

In men, FSH and LH, from the brain stimulate the testes to produce nearly 95% of the testosterone with the other 5% being supplied by the adrenal glands. With age testosterone levels fall as estrogen levels rise resulting in numerous undesirable traits like:

-        Prostrate Problems

-        Decreased Bone Density

-        Poor Muscle Strength

-        Decreased Sex Drive

-        Drops in Energy Levels

In women who are nearing menopause the levels of LH and FSH drop resulting in the production of estrogen and progesterone to decrease significantly.  This can result in the same symptoms men receive from decreased testosterone with the addition of:

-        Hot Flashes

-        Excessive Weight Gain

-        Acne

-        PMS

-        Vaginal Dryness

-        Night Sweats

HRT is safe, effective and work extremely fast which makes for a very desirable form of treatment. It is NOT taking steroids or growth hormone so don’t worry there. There are many different ways the therapy can be administered which range from injections every few weeks to a pellet that is inserted under the skin.

Replacing hormones is something that requires blood test and a review of symptoms to first check for to see if this therapy is needed… look before you leap! So make sure you find a qualified physician who specializes in it.

So if you are experience the OLD AGE symptoms… get checked out and feeling like your 20 again.