2011 was a good year for anti-aging news.  Diverse studies published this year suggest that it’s possible to retain your mental powers, muscle mass, speed and physique as you age.  It’s also looking like coffee, chocolate and yes, even beer, (all in moderation, of course) can be a part of your anti-aging regime.

In the most encouraging studies of the year, scientists showed that exercise not only increases cognitive sharpness, but may even change brain cells at a molecular level – increasing the mitochondria (which produce energy) in the neurons. Multiple other researchers showed that any exercise – from intense training, to light jogging or even informal exercise like cooking, cleaning and gardening – leads to better memory, sharper problem solving skills, more youthful muscle mass and balance, and less shrinkage of hearts, brains and gonads.  Even fidgeting counts.  While it’s certainly not enough exercise, small unplanned movements like having to run to catch the bus, tapping your fingers and walking to the water cooler can burn up to an extra 300 calories a day and increase your VO2 max (the maximum amount of oxygen you can take in while exercising.)

Hormones replacement has been back in the news this year as well.  As decade old studies about the risk of hormone replacement therapies are being debunked, more people are embracing hormone replacement therapy – both men and women. Researchers are finding even more evidence that hormone replacement therapy is extremely beneficial as estrogen and testosterone levels start to drop significantly around mid-life.  Data shows that with the decline of these naturally occurring hormones comes possible depression, sleeping problems, mood swings, bone loss, heart disease, and a decline in brain function. But hormone therapy, which boosts mood, libido, muscle and bone mass, is about much more than that.  According to one pharmacist, “It’s about vitality and energy and cognition — especially with the large number of professional women in this generation who want to continue their careers into their 60s and 70s.”  New types of hormone therapy becoming available are especially exciting as they can be personalized to individual patients.  Bioidentical hormones are now being used by the top anti-aging doctors. Derived from plants or animals, bioidentical hormones have been modified to be molecularly identical to those in the human body, make them even more efficacious and since these new therapies are delivered though the skin in the form of creams or patches, doctors can also use lower doses.

2011 also came with new concerns about BPA levels, especially in women.  An endocrine-disrupting compound that mimics the body’s hormones, BPA has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and obesity, and to potential problems during development young children. Japanese and Korean researchers also linked it to oxidative stress and inflammation in post-menopausal women. Aging occurs, in part, because of cell damage due to oxidative stress and inflammation. You can cut down on your BPA exposure by using glass, rather than plastic, containers and cutting out as much canned food as possible.  (As an added benefit, you’ll reduce your salt intake quite a bit as well!)

Looking forward to healthy and vital 2012!

Stress, in and of itself, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. For our earliest ancestors, stress could have meant the difference between life and death in the face of a hungry saber-toothed tiger. Stress activates our body’s sympathetic nervous system, inducing the so called “fight-or-flight” response, causing our adrenal glands to release a flood of hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline serves to temporarily increase heart rate, elevate blood pressure, and boost energy supplies. Cortisol increases blood glucose and delivers more of it to the brain. In small doses, this stress can be just the extra kick we need to perform well on a test, meet a difficult deadline, or perform in front of an audience. This is generally followed by a period of rest, when the body and adrenals have a chance to recover and return to equilibrium. When we stress our muscles, say through weight lifting, it forces our muscles to grow over time to be able handle greater degrees of stress in the future. A similar mechanism serves as the foundation for the way we learn new skills and information, by constantly pushing ourselves beyond our current comfortable capacity, we train ourselves to handle increasingly greater demands. Stress is critical for growth.

It’s only when stress becomes chronic and uncontrolled that it can become an issue. Stress can be especially toxic when a difficult event happens and a person feels they do not have the financial or internal resources to handle it. When chronic stress becomes a part of life, serious physical and mental health consequences can develop. This is due in part to a somewhat paradoxical problem. Prolonged exposure to adrenaline and cortisol in the bloodstream can contribute to prolonged elevated heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar, which can cause a number of issues. At the same time, the adrenal glands can weaken due to overworking, resulting in diminished ability to produce enough adrenaline and cortisol to meet the stress.

According to a statistic from the American Academy of Family Physicians, stress-related symptoms account for two-thirds of all office visits. Several studies link high levels of self-reported stress to significantly increased mortality rates. This is due a number of different factors. For one, there are higher risk and complication rates of diseases. High levels of stress are linked to increased risk and symptom complications for heart disease, heart attack, cancer, stroke, obesity, type II diabetes, anxiety, depression, asthma, psoriasis, eczema, sleep issues, and memory impairment, to name a few. High stress also has a strong link to lower immune function, which can contribute to increased mortality due to any number of illnesses. Certain predisposed genetic factors that make some people more susceptible to stress than others may also contribute to mortality rates.

Several key lifestyle changes and practices can help reduce stress. A growing body of research is supporting the health benefits and stress fighting properties of meditation. Meditation has been shown to lower blood pressure and improve immune function. A recent study showed that regular meditation improved physical and emotional responses to stress. Participants who meditated regularly experienced less immune system activation and emotional distress in response to stressful situations.

Regular exercise is critical for coping with stress, as well as healthy diet and nutrition. Reducing caffeine and sugar intake can reduce spikes and crashes in mood and energy, which can help with stressful situations, in addition to promoting relaxation and better sleep. While alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs may provide a feeling of temporary relief, they interfere with addressing the underlying issues that contribute to stress in the first place, and may cause other health issues that contribute to stress. Sufficient sleep, 7-8 hours per night, is necessary to have sufficient energy to deal with stressful situations. Several mental, emotional, and behavioral changes in the way you cope with stress can help to alleviate it, such as avoiding stressful people, learning to say “no”, avoiding stressful conversation topics, reframing issues as opportunities for growth, organizing time management, and focusing on the positive. Try to shift your focus to changing stressful environmental factors that are in your control, and learning to cope with or avoid factors that can’t be controlled.

If stress is taking a significant toll on your wellbeing, and efforts to address it have not been effective, Rejuvalife offers a comprehensive stress management program, designed to diagnose and correct potential hormonal imbalances of DHEA and cortisol, and to manage aspects of diet, nutrition, fitness and lifestyle that may be contributing to stress. This allows stress to be taken off the adrenal glands, so they have a chance to recover and restore normal functioning. As cortisol contributes to the retention of abdominal fat, stress management may also play an integral role in a weight loss program. Rejuvalife operates on the principle that a person’s overall “looks” and external beauty are in large part a reflection of internal health and well being. If a person has poor internal health, of which stress can be a major contributing factor, this will show on their face, and their external beauty will be diminished. Stress management is therefore an integral part of a person’s anti-aging lifestyle and aesthetic enhancement regime.

In honor of October being National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I want to encourage women to take an active role in living a prevention-oriented lifestyle through diet to reduce their cancer risk.

In 2007, the most recent statistics available, over 200,000 women in the United States were diagnosed with breast cancer, and over 40,000 died from breast cancer. Over recent years, more and more attention has been given towards lifestyle and dietary factors contributing to breast cancer.  Of course, no food or supplement is sufficient to completely prevent or treat breast cancer, and women should receive regular mammograms and consult with their physician, and take other lifestyle measures to improve breast health.

However, certain foods and supplements have been linked to reduced risk of breast cancer. Here are some guidelines for a breast cancer prevention oriented diet and lifestyle.

Don’t Eat Meat! - Red meat consumption is highly correlated with breast cancer. Try to limit or eliminate red meat from your diet, and consider eating vegetarian meals at least a few times per week for a boost of essential vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants.

Green is Gold – Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables such as kale, collared-greens, and brussel sprouts reduce the production of a certain kind of estrogen specifically linked to breast cancer development. These foods are also especially high in fiber, which is essential for waste elimination and removing toxins from the body. Eating a high-fiber diet of at least 30 grams or more can significantly reduce carcinogenic toxins in the body and lower breast cancer risk.

Tea Time – Green and white teas are both especially high in antioxidants, which have a protective effect against cancer. Some studies have shown that green tea can interfere with cancer cell receptors. Coffee has also recently been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer. Read More

 You say tomato… – The lycopene in tomatoes can reduce cancer risk by attacking free radicals, which are associated with cancer development.

 Go Nuts! – The Omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and phytosterols in walnuts have all been shown to have cancer-fighting properties.

Bittersweet News – Contrary to the popular belief that “cancer loves sugar,” sugar in your diet does not cause cancer to develop. Starving your cells of sugar won’t kill or prevent cancer, but can deprive your healthy cells of energy. However, obesity, increased insulin levels and diabetes related to a high-sugar diet are all strong risk factors for cancer. A healthy diet and sufficient exercise will contribute to a healthy body weight and normal insulin levels, and thereby lower your cancer risk.

Rejuvalife is here to support you in living a disease-prevention and anti-aging lifestyle, to create the radiant health and vitality you have always wanted!

“Can I please get a venti decaf, sugar-free hazelnut, non-fat, no foam, no whip, extra hot caramel macchiato with five pumps of sugar-free hazelnut syrup?” There’s no denying it. Coffee has become part of the American Culture and the American Diet.

Whether you’re a fan of our coffee culture or not, coffee is here to stay, supported by the fact that the average American drank 26 gallons of coffee in 2009. While this may sound like a lot, recent research has shown astonishing disease fighting and health improving properties of daily coffee consumption, especially in higher doses. People in the U.S. get the majority of their antioxidant intake from coffee. A typical serving of coffee contains more antioxidants than an average serving of blueberries. The properties of the special antioxidants and polyphenols found in coffee, along with the effects of the caffeine itself, may play a major part in prevention and ultimately treatment of a number of degenerative diseases.

One of the most recent findings to gain attention is coffee’s incredible association with lower skin cancer risk. A study of nearly 94,000 women found that daily coffee drinkers had an almost 11 percent lower risk of non-melanoma skin cancer, and that women who drank six or more cups daily had a 30 percent reduction in risk. In addition to actually being able to absorb UV rays, caffeine inhibits a chemical pathway responsible for repairing DNA damage in cells caused by UV radiation. While this repair process may sound like a good thing, the problem is that sometimes these cells don’t repair properly and can go on to become cancer cells. By inhibiting this process and letting these cells die, the  risk of them becoming cancerous is eliminated. Caffeine inhibits a similar process in breast cancer development, by promoting cell death of damaged, potentially malignant cells in the breast.

In addition to several other types of cancer, research has linked high, daily coffee consumption to reduced risk of Heart Attack, Heart Disease, Stroke, Dementia including Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s, Type 2 Diabetes, Liver Cirrhosis, and Asthma. Some studies have found that coffee actually improves social skills, and reduces symptoms of depression and rate of suicide.

Ok, so coffee fights cancer and heart disease, but is it really worth the bad breath? Contrary to the implications of the common phrase “coffee breath,” a study from the International Society for Breath Odor Research in Germany (yes, this is a real thing) showed that certain compounds in coffee may ultimately reduce bad breath by eliminating bacteria responsible for halitosis.

The verdict is in. Coffee has tremendous health benefits when included in your daily nutrition, as part of your anti-aging lifestyle. But not all coffee drinks are created equally. A 6 oz. cup of black coffee has about 7 calories. Add a bit of half  & half or creamer and you’re looking at about 50 calories. Every teaspoon of sugar you add from there is about 23 calories more. Do your body a favor and stay away from any of those fancy, sugar filled coffee concoctions. A 16 oz. Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino has 370 calories, 15 grams of fat, and 54 grams of sugar. A 16 oz. McDonalds Frappe, which makes the Starbucks Frappuccino look like a diet drink in comparison, contains a whopping 560 calories, 24 grams of fat, and 70 grams of sugar. That’s the same amount of sugar as 17 and a half of the sugar packets you might use to sweeten your regular coffee! Sugary, artificial coffee drinks have so much sugar that the harmful effects of consuming the sugar on a regular basis far outweigh the health benefits of whatever trace amount of actual coffee they may contain. Caffeine also increases metabolism and energy available for exercise which aids in weight loss, as long as you minimize added milk and sugar, and steer clear of the muffins, bagels, and donuts that often go with it.

Drink up!

Dr. Berger discusses the use and benefits of fat-derived stem cells in fat transfer procedures, and the future implications of stem cells for cosmetic and anti-aging medicine.

Patients ask all the time which supplement is most important for an anti-aging lifestyle and disease prevention. Of course, every person’s body is different, and each person should consult with a physician regarding their nutrition and supplement choices, but Omega-3 essential fatty acids in particular stand out for incredible anti-aging and disease fighting properties.

Essential fatty acids are vital for normal metabolism, but cannot be synthesized by the human body. Because of this, people need to have a diet rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and/or take supplements to maintain healthy levels in the body. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, sturgeon, and anchovies, and are also found in seaweed, flax seeds, soybeans and tofu, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and canola oil. Certain other foods like eggs and yogurt are also now being fortified with Omega-3 fatty acids.

A large body of research supports the incredible benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids for promoting heart health. A diet rich in Omega-3s has been shown to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, irregular heartbeat, heart attack, sudden cardiac death, and heart failure. Omega-3s have a positive effect on regulating the heart’s electrical activity, muscle tone, and plaque stabilization, and also act as a blood anticoagulant. Omega-3s reduce blood pressure, lower “bad” cholesterol levels, increase metabolism, and aid weight loss, all associated with heart health and disease prevention. Omega-3 fatty acids have been linked to an astonishing number of other health benefits.

Other potential health benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids include:

• Reduces risk of stroke and certain cancers
• Reduces cellular inflammation
• Lubricates  the skin, arteries, veins and intestines
• Slows development of Alzheimer’s and other cognitive problems
• Reduces joint pain and arthritis symptoms
• Increases energy levels and concentration
• Improves sleep quality

The American Heart Association recommends including two meals of fish every week for optimal heart health, however, the American diet is typically lacking in sources of Omega-3s, so it is highly recommended that people take a daily supplement for optimal health and disease prevention. Rejuvalife offers a premium concentrated Fish Oil supplement, the purest and most effective source of Omega-3 fatty acids. We also offer a complete line of the highest quality Vitamins and Supplements, selected personally by Dr. Berger for the highest efficacy and purest ingredients, to support your anti-aging lifestyle and overall health. Any supplement you purchase can also be added to your Loyalty Punches for our Filler Frenzy Program, and contribute toward receiving your $300 gift card or free syringe of Juvederm Ultra, Restylane or Radiesse.  See offer for complete details.

Let’s be honest. Most of us would love to lose an extra inch or two around our midsections. How nice it would be to fit into those jeans from college without having to suck in, or show off a slim, sexy body at the beach. But there may be an even more compelling reason to get rid of that stubborn belly fat once and for all. Research is now showing that fat specifically around the midsection or waist is a major risk factor for Type II Diabetes, Heart Disease, Hypertension, Stroke, some forms of cancer, and even Dementia. We all know that obesity can dramatically increases risk factors for these diseases and more, but excess belly fat may also be a warning sign for mildly overweight people, or even people of an otherwise healthy physique and appropriate weight.

Studies have shown that excess midsection fat is strongly associated with greater resistance to insulin.  In insulin resistant people, muscle, fat and liver cells do not use the insulin effectively, so the pancreas tries to compensate by producing more insulin. If the pancreas cannot keep up with the body’s need for insulin, excess levels of glucose will build up, leading to Diabetes. Insulin resistant people also have excessively high levels of insulin in their bloodstream, which leads to inflammation. Inflammation itself has recently gained attention as a direct cause of a staggering number of diseases and health conditions.

The obvious contributor to excess stomach fat is poor lifestyle choices. A diet consisting of high fat, high sugar, processed and otherwise nutritionally lacking food, combined with a lack of exercise, and excessive drinking will all help you pack on those pounds.

Research is supporting the idea that greater life stress may be the other major contributor to excess stomach fat. In particular, chronic stress that is associated with hopelessness, helplessness, or a feeling of defeat is associated with excess production of the stress hormone cortisol. When you have chronically high cortisol levels, the body craves carbohydrates and fats, and the extra calories tend to head right for the midsection. A recent study has also show that lean women in particular may be more prone to develop stomach fat in response to stress.

Another major factor for retaining midsection fat is change in hormonal balance, due to aging or as a result of other conditions. For women, changes in estrogen levels have a particularly strong impact on retaining stomach fat. As estrogen levels change with age, fat goes to the abdominals instead of to the hips and thighs, where it was previously needed for reproductive support.

Rejuvalife is here to help support the total health and wellbeing of our patients, and assist them in acheiving their health, weight loss and aesthetic goals. We offer comprehensive fitness and nutrition programs to promote overall healthy lifestyle, as well as medically supervised weight loss programs. Rejuvalife is on the cutting edge of non-surgical advanced liposuction procedures, to remove excess body fat in the abdominals and other problem areas directly. We also offer Hormone Replacement Therapy to return your hormonal levels to their optimal concentration and fight the effects of aging.

Laughter may really be the best medicine after all! A growing body of research is providing more and more evidence to support a powerful link between levels of happiness and overall health. Positive thinking individuals may be more likely to take better care of themselves and make better lifestyle choices, but researchers believe that positive thinking itself may have a direct biological impact. Here are just a few reasons to smile:

• Research has shown that people who rate higher in happiness are less likely to catch a cold than unhappy people. If they do catch a cold, happy people report fewer symptoms than unhappy people.
• A recent study by the American Heart Association revealed that adults over 50 who were more optimistic had a dramatically reduced risk of a stroke. The patient’s optimism was rated on a 16-point scale. For every 1 point increase on the scale, the patient’s stroke risk was reduced by 9%.
• A study involving nuns revealed a dramatic link between happiness and longevity. 90% of the nuns rating in the top quarter of cheerfulness were alive at age 85. Only 34% of the nuns in the bottom quarter were still alive at 85. 54% of the most cheerful nuns were alive at 94, whereas only 11% of the least cheerful lived to that age. Another study showed that optimists had a 19% longer life span on average.
• A study at Columbia University rated happiness levels of over 1,700 adults with no heart problems. After a decade, the researchers found that happier people were significantly less likely to develop a heart problem.
• A world wide study surveying 140 different countries revealed that the link between positive attitude and good health may be even stronger among impoverished nations. In so called “Third-World” countries with low life expectancy, harsh living conditions, prevalent hunger, and limited access to modern medicine, overall happiness and optimism played a larger role in determining life expectancy and disease prevalence than it did in industrialized nations.

Greater levels of happiness and related characteristics are associated with lower levels of chronic stress, which can lower immunity and increase inflammation, contributing to a staggering number of illnesses.  High levels of chronic stress are associated with increased susceptibility to depression, diabetes, hair loss, hyperthyroidism, obesity, obsessive-compulsive disorder, sexual dysfunction, ulcers, and several types of cancers. Some studies suggest that as many as 90% of symptoms that patients seek doctor’s visits for are at least partially related to stress. A study showed that happier people had lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels and happier men had lower heart rates.

So whether you’re improving your health by exercising and eating right,  losing weight,  quitting smoking, or making any number of positive lifestyle choices, don’t forget to smile and do the things that make you happy. It will improve your health, how long you live, and the quality of your life itself.

If you haven’t already heard, you may want to know what the FDA has to say about Proscar and Avodart.  There has been a warning  issued from the FDA regarding an increased risk of high-grade prostate cancer with the 5-alpha reductase inhibitors finasteride (Proscar) and dutasteride (Avodart), which are currently approved to treat benign prostatic hypertrophy.

The agency recently announced that it has updated the Warnings and Precautions section of labels for the class of drugs, including the branded products Propecia and Jalyn, to reflect the increased risk.

According to the acency, “This risk appears to be low, but healthcare professionals should be aware of this safety information, and weigh the known benefits against the potential risks when deciding to start or continue treatment with 5-ARIs in men.”

Avodart, Jalyn, and Proscar are approved to treat symptoms of an enlarged prostate. Propecia, at a 1-mg dose, is approved to treat hair loss in men.

These drugs are not only linked to a higher incidence of high-grade tumors, but they have also demonstrated to be potentially chemopreventive.

The handling of low-grade prostate cancer is still in controversy to the urology community, mainly because it is still unknown whether the low-grade tumors would ever develop into high-grade tumors, but also because the method used to originally detect prostate cancer (the PSA test) is inexact.

How many people may this new information effect?  Well, according to the FDA, five million men received a prescription for a 5-ARI between 2002 and 2009.

Click here to learn more about the studies conducted.

There is new research that links Omega-3 fatty acids to muscle production.  As we age, our muscle mass slowly decreases, often causing Sarcopenia. This condition strongly influences muscle strength and mobility and is a factor in the occurrence of frailty and likelihood of falls and fractures in the elderly.   Studies show that omega-3 fatty acids stimulate protein anabolism in animals, and therefore aid in the treatment of Sarcopenia.  However, the effect of omega-3 fatty acids on human protein metabolism is unknown.  Bettina Mittendorfer, PhD, from Washington University School of Medicine (Missouri, USA), and colleagues studied 16 healthy adults, average age 71 years, and an average BMI of 25.65 kg/m2, assigning each to receive either omega-3s (providing provided a daily dose of 1.86 grams of EPA [eicosapentaenoic acid] and 1.5 grams of DHA [docosahexaenoic acid]), or corn oil (placebo) for eight weeks.  In conclusion, the researchers found that the omega-3 fatty acid supplementation increased the rate of muscle protein synthesis associated and increased the supply of amino acids and insulin. The team concludes that: “Omega-3 fatty acids stimulate muscle protein synthesis in older adults and may be useful for the prevention and treatment of Sarcopenia.”

What are Omega Fatty Acids?   Like vitamins and minerals, there are two types of fats that our bodies are unable to produce and therefore must be eaten or supplemented. These “essential” fats are known as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6 fatty acids can be found in nuts,  poultry, avocado, and in an array of oils making it easy to consume daily.  Omega-3 fatty acids, on the other hand, are much more difficult to find.  Flax seed oil and fish oil are the two richest sources, with Salmon rating the highest.

Omega-3 fats promote numerous health benefits to the body. Studies show consuming adequate omega-3 fats can enhance good cholesterol, keep blood thin to prevent clotting, decrease blood pressure, increase mood, enhance nerve function, improve healing, cushion joints, decrease inflammation, reduce cancer risk, and  even promote muscle production.

If you don’t like eating fish, or simply can’t get enough in your regular diet; other options include fish oil supplements, hemp oil, hemp seeds,  flaxseed, flaxseed oil, walnuts, canola oil, soybeans and soybean oil. However, similar to supplements, the evidence of heart-healthy benefits from eating these foods isn’t as strong as it is from eating fish.