The youngest older generation ever
When people hear I’m a grandparent of four they comment “you can’t possibly be” – but a proud grandparent I am. Likewise, are the over 75 million baby-boomers who are entering this amazingly rewarding right of passage and redefining their image about how a grandparent looks, acts, and thinks.
Every eight seconds another baby boomer turns 50
It’s an exciting time when 50 has become “the new 30” and traditional ideals of what it is to be middle-aged are now out the window – this 40-to-60 something crowd is holding on to their youth, albeit kicking and screaming, as their emphasis turns to maintaining youthfulness along with a determination to lead a full, vital, rich life.
Boomer grandparents are not giving up careers or entrepreneurial aspirations to stay at home and bake cookies or knit, nor are they wearing knee-hi stockings and tight corset-type girdles as they go from grey to greyer. We may not do the same things our grandparents did but we are focused, active, professionally engaged, globe trotters, health conscious, and we look younger – on our own terms.
The Demands of Aging
With these exciting aging processes we find ourselves in the realization that we are thrust into many demands our grandparents didn’t face. Our adult children, spouses and friends need us, our grandchildren count on us, and our jobs and business ventures demand more and more as the world spins faster with less individual time, patience and sensitivity, and…we're living longer. It’s also the time in our lives that we worry about having enough money to maintain the life-style we’ve earned and grown accustomed to.
Many of us are, have been, or will be, caregivers to our parents, grandparents and grandchildren. Because we are living longer, the demands on our energy and time require new life-style changes and methodologies to not only preserve our vitality and health, but also to maintain it.
We are the generation that plans for everything – now we have the opportunity to purposely plan for the mental and physical energy necessary to assist in carrying out our anti-aging long-range strategies; adding life to our years, not simply years to our life, naturally!
Daily I’m asked what nutrient I use and recommend for baby-boomers; those recommendations are not as “cut and dry” as they may seem since our specific needs and deficiencies are many. That said, in this and my next article, I will attempt to answer all your questions about boomers as viewed at a glance from where I sit as a health professional and wholistic rejuvenist.
Today, nutraceuticals have progressed to a level never before imagined; unique supplements to enhance mind and body are one of the most exciting and effective strategies to come along in our generation. The following nutraceuticals and distinctive herbals are formulated to benefit a wide spectrum of individuals who demand supplements and functional foods to not only assist them in living longer, but also provide quality and vitality to their life.
What do baby-boomers demand out of nutritional and metabolic foods?They know their body demands supplementation, however, they need specific professionally formulated supplements that will:
- Boost mental & physical energy – especially beneficial for busy retirees and professionals whose demanding lives and careers need a boost of natural energy for stamina and immune enhancement by strengthening and detoxifying blood functions (1). It’s an added bonus when the supplement is also an organic, kosher green food.
- Provide a convenient healthy source of protein that is readily digestible through fermentation (2). Because reducing our fasting blood sugar levels is a huge part of anti-aging, it’s important this functional food also addresses regulation of blood sugar levels.
- Supply a broad array of minerals and electrolytes that are bio-available (easily utilized within the body). In most individuals, this added supplementation is not needed if they consume medical foods because of their mineral/electrolyte content. If you're on a strict detox protocol, or experience chronic diarrhea or muscle cramps, additional support is needed (3).
- Assist boomers in the youth of old age with enhanced cognitive function, memory enhancement & overall quality of life (4).
- Enhance stamina from stress, lack of sleep, and a diet of fast and over-processed food (5).
In my subsequent article I’ll provide you with insights for maximizing immunity, cellular energy, inflammation, reducing muscle fatigue and oxidative stress, naturally.
As baby-boomers and grandparents, we can immortalize ourselves by leaving our soul with a child, after all, isn’t grand-parenting our second chance to make a difference in the life of a child? We cannot accomplish that if our long-term plans do not include providing our bodies and minds what they need to add life to our years. The image of grand-parenting has changed and so have the new choices we have available for nutritional support, naturally.
It’s important we don’t forget that our bodies do need some extra support as some of our youthful “reserves” have been spent without being replenished.
Reduction and Neutralization of Inflammatory Activities, Naturally
If you, in any way, doubt that inflammation has escalated to epidemic proportions, especially within the baby-boomer generation, think about these statistics:
- An estimated 46 million adults in the U.S. alone have been diagnosed by a physician as having some form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia.
- 90% of diagnosed fibromyalgia cases occur in women.
- By 2030, an estimated 67 million Americans ages 18 years or older are projected to have doctor-diagnosed arthritis.
- Approximately 1 in 73 (1.36%), 3.7 million people in the US have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Many integrative health professionals believe that figure to be closer to 11 million.
Inflammation is NOT simply a disease of aging; it encompasses a group of disorders from varied causes. One of the most prevalent is the build up of intestinal toxins that eventually find their way into our organs of detoxification (liver, kidneys, lymph) – inhibiting their ability to neutralize them.
Because inflammation is caused by a cellular immune response or infection, it’s vital to get to the causes rather than simply deal with drugs for symptom-care that eventually becomes drug-management; adding more to the body’s toxic burden.
Inflammation is linked to many of the disorders we generally associate with aging including premature aging in general: wrinkles, heart disease, gum diseases, gout, Alzheimer’s and cancer, to name a few.
Most inflammatory disorders can significantly be prevented, reduced or eliminated by simple changes in our daily habits including an inflammation-reducing diet (elimination of foods in the nightshade genre and chemical food additives), non-drug nutraceutical support (long- and short-term support), and insuring an environment as free of toxic substances as possible (avoiding pesticides, insecticides, toxic paint/finishes and conventional particleboard, carpeting unless non-toxic, petrochemicals, toxic cleaning and personal care products).
Our Second Brain…in our gut that is!
We now have scientific validation that, in fact, we do have a second brain housed within our intestinal tract that operates independently of the brain in our head. With that said, science has also recognized that most of our immune responses are housed within that second brain. It’s because of this that it’s so vital for us to keep our elimination moving daily and for it to be complete evacuation. It’s nearly impossible to consume as much fiber as we need to accomplish brushing the colonic plaque from the walls of the large intestine.
Most individuals believe that if they eliminate once daily it’s sufficient. Just think about it. If you eat three meals a day and do not supplement with fiber to facilitate complete multiple eliminations, where is the remainder of putrefied matter?
Newer vegetable fiber supplements in tablet form1 contain so much fiber that you’d have to consume the equivalent of two turkey-sized platters of raw vegetables to get the same amount of fiber from your diet. I don’t know about you, but my expensive dental restorations hurt just thinking about chewing all those raw veggies in one day. These fiber supplements act as “Roto Rooter®” brushes so that your intestinal plumbing continues to flow and purges; rather than allowing old matter to sit there, putrefy and irritate (inflame) delicate intestinal tissues that can eventually cause autointoxication (leaky gut).
Nutritional Support for Cellular Energy
Definitions of cellular energy: “The series of metabolic processes by which living cells produce energy through the oxidation of organic substances.”
Cellular energy is defined as the metabolic reactions and processes that take place in a cell or across the cell membrane to obtain biochemical energy from fuel molecules and the release of the cells’ waste products.
Cellular respiration allows organisms to use (release) the energy stored in glucose. The energy in glucose is first used to produce ATP. Cells use ATP to supply their energy needs. – The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company
It’s important that as we age we provide the body with supplemental nutraceuticals that have been shown to help control or discourage blood sugar imbalances by inhibiting a-glucosidase – allowing the body to “burn” the fuel from carbohydrates and sugars consumed rather than store it.
Nutraceutical Long-term Support for Pain and Inflammation
To understand inflammatory disorders in general, and specifically arthritis and arthritis-like disorders like fibromyalgia, we must have a basic knowledge of how pain messages get transmitted in the body.
When inflammation occurs, a signal is sent to the brain to feel pain. The relaying of molecular signals called Kinase Signaling (for example, as contained in a hormone) or physical signals (for example, sensory stimuli) from a cell's exterior to its intracellular response mechanisms must occur.
I find that one nutraceutical works exceptionally well by it's selected plant components that influence Kinase signaling and the formation of certain substances that are associated with pain. Clinical tests show this complex may offer a high degree of relief from pain and inflammation as well as safety supporting the cardiovascular, gastric, renal and liver functions. It modulates production of specific target cells called PGE2 and features SKRMs in the form of THIAA that modulates Kinase activity, in other words, shuts off pain messengers3. I recommend one capsule three times daily with meals for maximum effect. This nutraceutical is only available through approved health care professionals.
Another important aspect to bear in mind with inflammatory conditions is the toxins that build within the soft and connective tissue such as in fibromyalgia. The pain of fibromyalgia is usually centered on the fascia. This is the thin layer of connective tissue that covers, supports, and connects the muscle cells, muscle fibers, and the whole muscles, as well as forming tendons and ligaments. It is the support network that provides the body its shape and determines its flexibility.
When toxins (heavy metals, toxic chemicals, chemicals from food preservatives/additives, residue of medications, etc.) get trapped within the fascia, we must not only rely on nutraceuticals to shut-off pain messages, but also support our body in removal of stored toxins through the use of a homeopathic4 via the lymphatics, kidneys, and liver. It is also very beneficial to have a certified therapist perform Myofascial release therapy when available.
Nutraceutical Short-term Support for Pain and Inflammation
While we MUST deal with biological pain messages, as described above, maximum benefit may take 4-6 weeks. Therefore, for shorter term reduction of pain and inflammation with ingredients to stimulate internal healing, I use a professional blend containing key proteolytic enzymes5, along with ingredients with anti-inflammatory and fibrinolytic effects that also support circulatory and immune functions. It is very important to always take proteolytic enzymes on an empty stomach (45 minutes before and after any food) in order for them to influence effective pain-reducing properties.
This specialized blend is also a great supplement to allow enhancement of daily exercise while reducing post-exercise muscle fatigue.
Yes, it does take effort to be the youngest generation ever. That said, I practice what I teach, Health thru Education© and if you’re as determined as I am to live life to its fullest, you’ll find time in your busy day to make growing wiser easier by staying healthy rather than getting well, naturally.
All the above products can be found at the Health Matters Store online at www.gloriagilbere.com.
- ColonSweep™ – a proprietary professional blend of vegetable fiber and herb tablets formulated to support regular elimination while facilitating removal of intestinal toxins.
- Glucorest™ – a professional product formulated from leading research confirming the benefit of the natural agent of fermented black soybean extract, also known as touchi extract. Studies show that taking touchi extract before meals may help blunt the Glycemic response.
- One nutraceutical that I have found extremely effective, and proven so by multiple clinical studies, is a complex supplement This nutraceutical provides a safer option for effective relief of pain and inflammation than prescription medications. This proprietary combination of selected plant components influences kinase signaling and the formation of specific substances that are associated with minor pain. Clinical testing suggests that Kaprex may offer a high degree of predicted cardiovascular, gastric, renal, and liver safety.
- LKL is a proprietary blend homeopathic specifically formulated to support detoxification of the liver, kidneys and lymph while also facilitating return of maximum functions.
- InflamaZyme is a proprietary professional blend containing key therapeutic enzymes which have both a balanced inflammatory response and fibrinolytic effect while also providing circulatory and immune support.† Proteolytic enzymes have shown to drastically improve recovery from injuries as well as stimulate internal healing by stimulating capillary repair, increasing muscle tissue regeneration, and reducing swelling, bruising and pain.
