Preventive Care
&
Best Practices
to Slow Aging

Is it possible that the Fountain of Youth has been inside of you all along? Our health and life longevity have been linked to a full circle of lifestyle choices, medicinal practices, and mindful dieting. From the teachings of ancient healers to modern day doctors we are now realizing that there is a common message that spreads throughout history when it comes to aging and health. This message is that of preventive care.

As the knowledge of doctors and medical practitioners evolves with technology the  application of functional medicine, which focuses on finding the root of a symptom and understanding how to respond according to the natural causes and effects throughout the body. Becoming aware of our own body and its self regulating process through homeostasis helps the patient realize that they have the power to their own health and longevity. 

The doctor of the future will give no medication, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.

Simple Practices YOU Can Do to Prevent the Effects of Aging Include

• Keep Good Posture.  As muscles become weaker over time the body will arch forward and cause blood circulation to slow down. Posture also is associated with aging , so keeping a good posture will also make you appear younger .
• Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet. Findings from a few studies suggest that eating plenty of organic fresh fruits, nuts, and vegetables may help prevent damage that leads to premature skin aging. Findings from research studies also suggest that a diet containing lots of sugar or other refined carbohydrates can accelerate aging.
• Use Oils. Oil-based products can keep your skin hydrated and reduce your risk of damage.
• Lightly exercise most days of the week. Findings from a few studies suggest that moderate exercise can improve circulation and boost the immune system. This, in turn, may give the skin a more-youthful appearance.
• Avoid Abrasive Skin Care and Shower Products. While you do want to keep your face clean, scrubbing it may exacerbate existing dermatological issues, including wrinkles.
• Meditation. Allow yourself  a window of time to focus on the breath and a chance to listen to what is inside

Practices Your Doctor Can Do to Prevent the Effects of Aging Include :

• Vascular Evaluations. to find out if the arteries of your legs or arms are blocked or narrowed. When there is blockage or narrowing of the leg or arm arteries you may have pain, coldness, numbness or nonhealing ulcers in the affected limb.
• Neurocognitive Testing.  a way to measure brain function non invasively
• Complete Blood and Hormone Lab Checkups. 
• Nutritional Analysis. process of determining the nutritional content of foods and food products.
• Genetic/Telomere Analysis. Discover what your DNA says about how you’re aging
• Biomechanical Evaluation. insight into muscle, joint, or movement dysfunction that can have a negative effect on the body. 
• Stem Cell Therapy. This allows damaged areas to quickly regenerate new cells and repair the damaged tissue without the patient having to resort to invasive intervention.
  
• Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy. Using the same molecular structure as those hormones that are naturally produced in the body to quickly metabolize, stabilize and balance the endocrine system.

The Functional Medicine Approach

As seen on their website, the Institute for Functional Medicine states the following.

“Functional Medicine is a systems biology–based approach that focuses on identifying and addressing the root cause of disease. Each symptom or differential diagnosis may be one of many contributing to an individual’s illness.

A diagnosis can be the result of more than one cause. For example, depression can be caused by many different factors, including inflammation. Likewise, a cause such as inflammation may lead to a number of different diagnoses, including depression. The precise manifestation of each cause depends on the individual’s genes, environment, and lifestyle, and only treatments that address the right cause will have lasting benefit beyond symptom suppression”

To slow the aging process and increase the longevity of our lifespan is the highest level of preventive medicine.

Empowering The Patient

The body is constantly responding to everything we come into contact with. For example, When you are hot your body will produce sweat to cool itself down. This type of self regulating behavior in the body is called Homeostasis. Whether you realize it or not  your body is a full time medical practitioner. The more an individual becomes aware of their own body and how it responds, the easier it is for that individual to know if something does or does not feel right to them. Homeostasis sometimes can be the first signs of a symptom and the best preventive care practice a person can become aware of. 

As doctors also help to create more awareness around functional medicine, homeostasis in the body, and new technological advances they will be able to offer specific knowledge and applications that will successfully help prevent health issues and aging for their patients.