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Aging, Staying Young and Healthy

Written by Roberto Guerrero

Wednesday, 27 February 2008

We all age, some of us faster than others. Ever since I was young I was always told that I looked a lot older than I really was. I liked it then, but I don’t like it now. The mechanism by which we age is one of constant regeneration of our old cells. Some cells regenerate faster than others. The cells of the outer layers of our skin regenerate almost daily, while others regenerate a lot slower. Bones for example are believed to totally regenerate every 10 years. While still other few last a lifetime, such as those of the muscles of the heart, the neurons and the inner lens of the eye. We all have heard of stem cells, these are a type of cells that are constantly duplicating and generating new cells to replace the ones that are ready to die out. Every cell in your body has a predetermine life span dictated by its DNA. The cell knows when its time is up and it self destroys. If the DNA of the cell is corrupt, the cell continues to grow and survive. In most cases our immune system finds these rouge cells and destroys them. If our immune system is weak or deficient then these cell continue to grow and then we have a tumor. There are two types of tumors benign and malignant. The malignant tumor we know as cancer. The difference between a benign tumor and cancer is whether the cells are growing in a control or uncontrolled manner. Control growth means benign, uncontrolled growth means cancer. I tell my patients, that preventive medicine is not that difficult. It just takes a little bit of common sense. Lets apply what we know so far. As we age our cells regenerate over and over again just like when you make a photo static copy, of a copy, of a copy…  the older we get the more differences between the original cells, and cells that now form our older body. Compound that with environmental stressors, such as air pollution, the chemicals in the foods we eat and the water we drink, our poor dietary habits, fast foods and skipped meal, the lack of exercise or excessive exercise, the mental and emotional stress, injuries due to trauma, lack of sleep and overwork, etc., all these irritants negatively influence the stem cell’s ability to generate a healthy new cell.  Let us recap, as we age we get some transcription errors at the cellular level, that error is aggravated by life style choices and environmental factors, the net result is accelerated aging and disease. So what can we do about it? Enter the wellness revolution, due to the high levels of available information on the internet, more and more people are asking themselves why our older population has to be dependent on prescription drugs. Isn’t there a better way? As more of us get older, we are asking the same question. People are searching for the answer to this, our modern problem. We are living longer, and we all would like to be able to stay healthy and active in our late middle age and beyond. Being in your 60’s is now the new 40’s; many people are turning 60 and starting new lives. Many rather than sitting back to enjoy their retirement are beginning new businesses. You see more mature people getting their postgraduate degrees.  We refuse to get older, curl up and die. We are in search of the fountain of youth; you see this trend as plastic surgeries become more popular. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has something to contribute to this search; after all, the entire premise that TCM is founded on is one of prevention. But the first thing that has to change to take advantage of what TCM has to offer is your mindset. Most of us only go to the doctor when we are sick, and this makes sense because, unless you have a set of symptoms that correspond to a diagnosable condition Western Medicine cannot help you. TCM on the other hand treats symptoms regardless of whether you have a diagnosis or not, and sometimes it treats symptoms that you don’t acknowledge. Like a good friend of mine likes to say, “ I didn’t know I haven’t felt well for the past 20 years”.  You have to see your TCM practitioner when you are well to stay well. You wouldn’t think of not changing the oil in your car until you had problems with it. Why do you do it with your body? Isn’t your body more important than your car? Your TCM practitioner has the training to see minor symptoms that you may otherwise disregard. Make it a point to see your TCM practitioner if you have been feeling a little under the weather, or if you have been getting more allergy attacks, or more colds than usual.  Or even if you are just under more stress due to a special project. He/She may have a supplement or a treatment just to get you back on to your feet. In the olden days people took tonics to help deal with the stresses of life; your TCM practitioner probably has some of these tonics (some better tasting than others but effective nonetheless). In today’s world I believe that we all need a good antioxidant regardless of whether or not we feel fine. There are many pollutants that we are unaware of; it would be foolish to think we are not affected just because we feel fine right now. Most people aren’t aware that they have a cardiovascular problem until just minutes before a fatal heart attack, and how many times do we hear of an acquaintance that suddenly got cancer and only lasted a few months after the diagnosis. It doesn’t have to be that way, these diseases don’t happen overnight most of the time we choose them by our inaction. The Wellness Revolution is a proactive movement where you seek the expert advice of professionals to monitor you to help keep life style diseases at bay. These are a few Symptoms to watch for: Fatigue Insomnia Back Ache Cold Hands and Feet Headaches Excessive hunger Excessive thirst Frequent urination Acid Reflux Muscle weakness Frequent sighing Irregular Menstruation PMS Breast Distention Epigastric Distention Palpitations Night Sweats Irritability Memory loss Diarrhea Constipation Sudden weigh gain/loss Cramps Pain Bleeding Floaters in your eye Blurred vision at night Snoring Allergies Roberto G. Guerrero is a licensed acupuncturist, a ,Chinese herbalist and a National Board Certified Practitioner of Oriental Medicine with a practice located in San Antonio, Tx.

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