I was asked to write an article for Men's Health Magazine in Thailand. As it is likely to be of interest to some of my blog readers I have reproduced it here...the English version. :)

No matter whether you are 30, 40 or 50 years of age, ask yourself this question. “When I reach the age of 60 do I want to…”

• Be Strong with Vibrant Health?

• Have as much energy or more than a 30 year old?

• Enjoy a great sex life?

• Be Free from Prescription Drugs?

• Never get Colds?

• Have a Sharp and Creative Mind?

• Be Free from Aches and Pains.

Most 60 year olds do not enjoy all these benefits! Don’t accept it if they tell you that it is not ‘normal’ to have all seven attributes at 60. It is! It is just a sad reality that most 60 year olds are in an ‘abnormal’ state! The human body is designed to function effectively to 100+ years free from degenerative disease. The problem is that most people inadvertently prevent their bodies from reaching their potential.

Did you know that in the USA that old age is now no longer a cause of death? This is because almost everyone dies from a preventable degenerative disease.

How do I know? Well, I have made it my life’s work for almost 10 years now to study this subject and apply the knowledge to myself. At 60 years of age I am living proof that getting older does not need to rob you of the seven points above. I enjoy all of them and I expect to continue doing so for many decades to come. There is nothing special about me. I am just fortunate that I have been able to dedicate the time and resources to study this subject and apply the principles that I am about to relate to you.

If you follow these principles you will be in a similar or better condition than me when you reach 60. If you are already 60 it is not too late. Our bodies are remarkable organisms and by applying the principles in this article you can improve your quality of life irrespective how old you are.

HOW?

There are a number of principles that you need to follow, and they are not all that difficult. These are

• Diet

• Lifestyle

• Reduction of Stress…inner peace.

• Nutrient ‘top up’

• Exercise

I will give some brief, simple information on each. Remember that these principles apply irrespective of your age.

Diet

The principles behind a healthy diet are quite simple. Avoid processed foods, this means most foods in a packet. Avoid foods containing or cooked in hydrogenated oils or transfats. Keep your intake of animal food to a minimum. This means all meats and dairy products. Try to avoid sugars as much as possible. Limit your intake of soda’s, coffees etc. INCREASE your consumption of all fresh fruits and vegetables.

If you follow these diet principles you will not have to worry about becoming, or staying overweight.

Lifestyle

The most serious lifestyle habit which impacts on your health is smoking. If you do smoke, educate yourself about the serious damage it is doing to your body. Not just your lungs. Smoking creates excessive free radicals which cause your body to ‘rust’ from the inside out. This is why smokers look and feel older faster than non smokers. Needless to say, I don’t smoke.

What about drinking? No problem provided that it is not in excess.

Stress…inner peace

Stress is a ‘killer’. No doubt about that. The ironic thing about this is that ‘stress’ is self induced and can be eliminated quite easily. Take a philosophical view on life and accept what you cannot change and change what you can. Try to live in the present and not allow past events or perceived future problems create stress in your life. When you allow stress to ‘visit’ you, your body sets up all sorts of chemical reactions which if sustained will damage your organs and you’re overall functioning of your body.

Nutrient…top ups!

This is a crucial component of any wellness/anti-aging program.

No matter how good our diet is, it is almost impossible to get adequate nutrients that we need to prevent damage to the DNA in our cells. As our DNA is progressively damaged we find ourselves getting closer to manifesting a degenerative disease. It is important to remember that we all have underlying degenerative diseases in our bodies including cancer, usually in a dormant state.

In order for any of these underlying diseases to take hold in the body and become a problem they need to overwhelm the body’s protective systems. In other words there is a constant battle going on in your body and you have to ensure that you provide the ‘ammunition’ the body needs to protect your DNA and fight free radicals. This is one of the important roles of anti-oxidants.

The most effective method to protect your DNA and thus your body from manifesting a degenerative disease is to provide a range of specialized nutrients that will bolster your ‘ammunition’. I have been fortunate in that 8 years ago I befriended one of the worlds most respected bio-scientists Prof.Dr.A Munem Daoud. He is now the chief researcher for Xtend-Life Natural Products (Intl) Ltd of which I am chairman.

He formulated a very special multi-nutrient supplement for us called Total Balance. More that any other single factor I attribute this product for my exceptional health, along with an essential Omega 3 DHA product which Xtend-Life also produces.

Exercise.

Exercise is without doubt a crucial component in maintaining vibrant health as it helps stimulate your hormonal cascade which is so essential for the effective workings of your internal chemistry. Lack of exercise is often the cause of excessive deterioration of health in the elderly.

No matter what your age is, try to do a reasonable amount of exercise. You don’t have to be an exercise ‘nut’ I certainly am not, in fact I don’t really like it, but I do it because I know I need to. How much? Well, I think that provided someone is reasonably active then 30 minutes of planned exercise three times a week is probably enough…but…try to ensure that it includes some weight resistant exercise! This is important for the strength of your bones and joints.

I hope that this little article will provide the stimulus to you to spend some time researching those steps that you need to take in order to enjoy a high quality of life as you get older. Getting older is not something to fear, if you know that you can do so free of pain and degenerative disease.

Be an exception to the rule…aim to die naturally of ‘old age’ at 100+, not from a degenerative disease. If you apply the principles within this article you will have a good chance of achieving this. Good luck.

In good health,

Warren Matthews

Reader Comments (8)

Hi Warren,