A new year, a new you?
How many of you have once again made a commitment to change your lifestyle, lose weight and become more active? 2016 brings new possibilities for us all! The investment you make into your health will have long term benefits!
Adopting an exercise program and nutritious diet, along with a positive attitude and healthy habits, all exert anabolic messages to the endocrine system, increasing the production of testosterone and other beneficial hormones for strength and physical condition. On the other hand, a sedentary lifestyle, bad nutrition, not enough rest, and stress, all send catabolic messages to the endocrine system. Catabolic hormones are released, i.e., cortisol, which exerts a negative effect upon muscle, bone and promotes aging. There is obviously a close relationship between hormone secretion and lifestyle.
Hormone levels that are suboptimal have an impact on the aging process. Bio-identical hormone replacement can restore hormones to more youthful levels. Hormone therapy is more effective when combined with exercise, proper nutrition along with balancing the stress in your life making it possible to reverse or slow down the aging process.
Genetic heritage, environment, and lifestyle are the three basic factors that determine life expectancy. Genetics are basically what they are and there is not much that can be done with that, but environment and lifestyle can definitely be modified. Do you need to become slaves to exercise and adopt a strict diet that does not allow for the realities of life? Not necessarily. Find an enjoyable sports program that involves some weight training, along with a healthy diet and optimized hormones, and you are on your way to changing your aging process.
Bone density and muscle mass decrease with age and hormonal decline, these can be nourished with good nutrition, and strengthened with exercise along with optimizing hormone levels. Cardiovascular aging is actually a logical consequence of immobility and poor nutrition. It causes hypertension, reduces muscular capacity, impairs the libido and is the first step toward cardiovascular disease. The fastest way to deterioration and aging is a lack of exercise.
Growing chronologically older does not have to mean losing lean body mass and gaining body fat. If you have made another New Year’s resolution to lose weight and get into shape, start by analyzing your current lifestyle. Find something you enjoy doing, the Mediterranean diet is a good healthy diet that is easily followed. Get your hormone levels checked, many find their motivation improves with restored optimum levels. We all have our days of not wanting to do much of anything — if you have been enduring a lot of stress then give yourself that day of rest and recuperation; but if you haven’t, give yourself a swift kick in the rear to get going! Listen to your body, invest in your health and grow chronologically older enjoying all that life offers! Take care of it!
For more information, call Balanced Wellness Medical Clinic at (509) 919-4575, email at health@balancedwellnessmed.com, or visit www.balancedwellnessmed.com.