Flatten your belly and detox without sacrificing nutrition.

Nobody expects to live forever, but the number of centenarians (people who are 100 or older) has increased over 50 percent since 1990. As the human lifespan increases, you want your “golden years” to be healthy, happy, and productive.

Defined as “a progressive, generalized impairment of function, resulting in an increased vulnerability to environmental challenges and a growing risk of disease and death,” aging is a multifaceted process caused by accumulated damage to the cells in the body. Free radicals—from a sugary diet, environmental toxins, stress (both emotional and physical), or obesity—can age and damage cells.

Damage to the mitochondria (tiny energy producers in the cells) can set in movement any number of aging processes—turning hair gray, weakening the heart and other muscles, setting cancer cells in motion. But science is learning new ways to slow aging.

The latest research is now starting to link the length of telomeres, structures at the ends of chromosomes, with a healthy weight and DNA protection. Women who take a multivitamin have longer telomeres, a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition recently found.

A new Australian study shows that weight loss in obese men prevents telomere shortening and DNA damage, which can start cells multiplying too rapidly in cancers. Similarly, research with rhesus monkeys at the VA Medical Center in St. Louis, Missouri finds that restricting calories reduces age-associated disease and mortality.

Excess body fat has long been linked to Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, increasing mortality rates and destroying the quality of life as well. The January issue of the journal Obesity shows that increased body fat damages endothelial cells critical in repairing damage to the blood vessels.

Dr. Ann Louise’s Take:

It’s clearly important to maintain a healthy weight, especially during middle age when metabolism slows. For the elderly who may already be low in a number of nutrients and who have trouble absorbing vitamins and minerals from food, low-cal diets are controversial.

At any age, make sure you’re taking a daily multi that meets your own specific nutritional needs. I like UNI KEY’s Female Multiple that contains alpha lipoic acid (a blockbuster antioxidant) to fight free radical damage, hesperidin (a bioflavonoid) to strengthen the capillaries, and extra magnesium to help keep bones strong.

My male clients benefit from an iron-free multi to prevent iron overload that’s linked to heart disease, arthritis, and other diseases of aging. UNI KEY’s Male Multiple also contains alpha lipoic acid for antioxidant support and reservatrol, the substance in grapes that’s been shown to have anti-aging benefits.

Seasonal Detox
The longer you live, the more time countless toxins in the environment have to wreak havoc on your body, particularly at the cellular level. Periodic detox—in keeping with seasonal demands on the body—not only flushes toxins out of the cells but also supports healthy weight loss.

That may be one reason why Time chose Fat Flush for Life, The Year-Round Super Detox Plan to Boost Metabolism and Keep the Weight Off Permanently as a “Top 10 Notable New Diet Book.” As millions of Fat Flushers can attest, safe detox burns belly fat (a factor in both Type 2 diabetes and heart disease) and revs up metabolism to helps you lose pounds, while helping to lower your toxic load.

Unlike fasting or long-term cleansing, Fat Flush for Life offers nutritionally sound menu plans that include powerhouse protein, slimming oils, antioxidant-rich veggies and fruits, and clean carbs (low in allergenic gluten and wheat). Because your body’s needs change with the seasons, the way you detox varies throughout the year.

It’s downright dangerous, for instance, to go on a raw foods diet this time of year, when your body is working hard to stay warm and fight seasonal viruses. In winter, you need warming soups and stews made with moist, antioxidant-rich veggies.

In spring as the natural world is reawakening, Fat Flush for Life highlights nutrient-rich leafy greens—just what you need to jump start cleansing and support your prime detox organs, the liver and gallbladder. In summer when the body can handle more extreme detox, nature provides plenty of tasty fresh fruits and veggies to help your body eliminate toxins, and lose weight.

Stay Active at Any Age
Season by season, Fat Flush for Life enhances core stability, supports muscle mass as you flush out fat and toxins, and strengthens the immune system by increasing lymph flow. For people over 60 years of age, the St. Louis study and numerous experts recommend exercise as preferable to cutting calories.

Even if you can’t get to the gym, it’s easy to fit Warm-Up Stretches and Yoga Quickies into your busy day! To make sure you don’t overdo it with the seasonal Cardio Workouts, Fat Flush for Life shows you how to monitor your workout intensity, targeting your own heart rate according to age and perceived exertion rates.

Sources:
Fat Flush for Life
www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1950966_1950979_1951008,00.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20064485
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20057362 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19594325 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20054222