This article written by Dr. Sahelian appeared in the Jan 1999 issue of Great Life magazine

____________________________________________________

Having treated thousands of patients for more than a decade, I have determined some of the reasons why some patients remain healthy and age slower while others have a rapid deterioration of their physical and mental health. Although genetics plays a role in how we age, we cannot discount the significant importance of diet and lifestyle habits.

People who stay healthy and age gracefully share the following common
characteristics:

They maintain moderate eating habits with a good balance of protein, fat, and carbohydrate. Most of their carbohydrate comes from complex sources such as whole grains, soy and other legumes. They include a few servings of a variety of fruits and vegetables each day. Most eat fish at least once or twice a week (1). Their intake of fried foods, fast foods, margarine, and baked goods is minimal. Although refined foods, sweets, pastries, ice cream, and other high sugar and high fat foods are unhealthy, their complete avoidance is not necessary. Most of us have a sweet tooth and it's okay to occasionally indulge and satisfy our craving as long as the rest of our diet is healthy.

Varying one's food intake is crucial in order to obtain the variety of nutrients, vitamins, and plant chemicals our bodies require. Attempt, on a regular basis, to consume citrus fruits, berries, apricots, grapes, and other colored fruits. Your vegetable intake should include garlic, onions, green leafy vegetables, yellow- or orange-colored vegetables, tomatoes, beets, and others. Drink a variety of herbal teas instead of just regular tea or coffee. Each morning have a different type of tea such as ginger, bilberry, green tea, licorice, peppermint, lemon grass, etc. Drink one or two large glasses of water when you wake up in the morning to help empty the colon. Vegetarians can stay very healthy but have to be careful in making sure their protein intake is adequate (2).

I'm not aware of any people who maintain optimal health without doing some
kind of physical activity, even if it is as brief as a walk around the neighborhood a few minutes a day. Muscles need to be exercises otherwise they become flaccid. If you've reached middle age-or passed it-and never exercised regularly, it's not too late to start. Maintaining the exercise habit, or taking up light to moderate physical activity later in life, reduces overall mortality (3). Physical activity also improves mental function. Exercise induces the growth of capillaries (tiny blood vessels) in the brain. This is important since the aging process leads to a decrease in blood supply to the brain.
Exercise will definitely give you a deeper sleep. Best times to work out are in the late afternoon or early evening. Exercise may delay sleep if performed within three or so hours before bedtime due to arousal and increase in body heat.

Keeping our brain young involves mental exercises. Learning is an art that improves with time. Brain cells, just like muscle cells, need constant stimulation in order to maintain their healthy structure (4). Healthy people are able to keep their brain young by constantly reading, learning, studying, keeping curious, meeting new people, asking questions, and maintaining their excitement about this wonderful world (5).

Even creativity can be improved. "The barriers are not erected," wrote Ludwig van Beethoven, the German composer, "which shall say to aspiring talent, "thus far and no farther."  Supplement takers do better. As a rule, I find patients who take appropriate supplements are less prone to infections or illness. One's supplement list does not need to take up multiple pages. I recommend to most patients to include at least one or two times the RDA for vitamins, and at least 50 percent of the RDA for minerals. In addition, I think it's beneficial to take between 100 to 300 mg of vitamin C, and 30 to 100 units of vitamin E. Vegetarians may need to supplement with a few additional nutrients that are
mostly found in meats. For instance, CoQ10, carnitine, and creatine are found only in small amounts in vegetarian diets (2). Hence, it would be appropriate to supplement with 10 to 30 mg of CoQ10, 100 to 250 mg of carnitine, and one gram of creatine most days. Those whose fish intake is low would do well supplementing with fish oils capsules that contain at least one gram of the fatty acids EPA and DHA (6).

The Deep sleep. Nothing seems to improve memory, mood, and overall mental
health as well as regular, deep sleep.

There are many tips on how to have good sleep patterns. I recommend that patients expose themselves to morning light for at least ten to twenty minutes by either taking a walk or driving to work. Morning light exposure helps reset our daily clock. Mental activity should be stopped at least one hour before bed and the mind allowed to switch to fun reading, watching a comedy film or TV show. You could tape your favorite prime time sitcom and then watch it before bed.

Use earplugs to muffle noises. You may be surprised how many noises can potentially disturb your sleep. These could be such interruptions as a dog barking, traffic, airplanes flying overhead, birds chirping outside your room in the early morning, or a loud bed partner.

Try one or more relaxation techniques. When you are in bed lying on your back, shake and loosen a leg and foot. Take a few, slow, deep breaths by expanding your belly. Proceed to shake and loosen the other leg and foot and then return to your abdomen for a few more relaxed breaths. Proceed with this relaxation to your arms, shoulders, and neck. Now relax your facial muscles--especially the muscles around the eyes and mouth. Remember to return to your breath after relaxing each muscle group. Before you know it you'll be drifting into your adventure-filled unconscious.

Life is always challenging us with obstacles. There can be deaths in the family, sickness, financial crises, and relationship problems. People who maintain their health throughout difficult periods have learned to become resilient (7). They do everything they can to minimize any problems or obstacles, but realize that sometimes these will occur in spite of our best efforts. Hence, resiliency and proper attitude become key survival factors (8). Healthy people avoid being excessively angry, spiteful, jealous, or bitter. Just like the stock market is on a continual rise, with occasional dips and recessions, our lives can be seen the same way. We should try to maintain our balance through the bear markets.

Whether physical (intense athletic competition, illness) or psychological (relationship difficulties, financial worries), stress has definite harmful biological effects. Our immune system responds quickly to our thoughts and emotions (9). There are receptors on the surface of white blood cells to which hormones and neurotransmitters attach. When under stress, substances released by the brain attach to the cells of the immune system and disturb their proper functioning. Positive thoughts and emotions are in some
instances believed to enhance the immune system. The immune system can in turn send substances back to the brain altering the release of neurotransmitters, thus influencing mood and cognition.

Luckily we can do something about stress. Much of it is self-induced or self-aggravated. While stuck in traffic, we may boil with frustration or turn on the radio and hum along with the songs. Most of our daily stress is not necessarily due to external circumstances. Rather it is due to our underdeveloped coping skills. Often, how we handle stress-our personality and coping style-is more important that the nature of the stress. A downturn of the stock market may be shrugged off by one investor while causing a coronary in another. How do you react to unpleasant circumstances? Does every little thing throughout the day that doesn't go according to your plans upset you, or do you calmly adapt to unplanned situations?