American Fitness Professionals & Associates

By Michael Karlfeldt, N.D., Ph.D.

We think about aging when we see wrinkly skin, graying of hair, stiffness, loss of vigor, and memory loss. Even though the riddle of immortality has not yet been solved, there are many things that can be done to effectively retard the aging process. Aging can be described as the progressive deterioration of virtually every bodily function over time. All functions of the body depend on healthy organs, glands, tissues, etc. The different parts of the body is a aggregation of different sorts of specialist cells.

We have liver cells that among other things remove harmful substances from the blood, blood cells that carry oxygen or provide immunity, muscle cells that contract, cells of the pancreas that regulates blood sugar levels, and the list goes on and on.

Each of the 100 trillion cells in the human being is a living structure that in proper conditions can survive indefinitely. As long as the cells stay healthy and their coordinated cooperation continues, we will remain youthful and healthy.

In order for us to achieve this goal we must meet the needs of the cells and support their cooperation with other cells. In order for a cell to function properly, it requires a continuous supply of certain nutrients, hormonal stimulation, and effective removal and neutralization of waste and toxic material. Cooperation between cells are dependent on good cellular communication.

Without a good supply of the essential glyconutrients, that cannot take place. The ability of cells to reproduce themselves depends on the adequacy of their nutrition. Researchers have found that if there is the slightest inadequacy in the nutrient medium in which a cell is grown, deficits will gradually accumulate to damage cells and impair their function.

The main portion of the nutritional support for the cell should come from wholesome and natural food. Since our bodies continually deal with a large quantity of environmental pollution in addition to the waste material that is produced from normal cellular metabolism, it is important to eat food that has not been exposed to pesticides or other toxic chemicals. An additional culprit in today’s food is its heavy refinement before it reaches the consumer. Take white sugar or white flour as an example. During the processing of the sugar or the grain most of their nutrients are lost.

The human body evolved over millions of years to utilize these foods in their complete nutritional package. In order for us to benefit from the sugar or the grain we need it to come in the nutritional matrix that exists in the natural source of these foods. When we eat its refined counterpart, our bodies have to supply the missing nutrients to be able to process the food.

Every time we refined foods we rob our bodies of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that are vital for healthy cellular function. Every time we eat organic, chemical free, non-refined foods, we are supplying the body with good nutrition that can increase the life-span of a cell and therefore lead to decreased signs and symptoms of aging. A good source of high quality nutrients can be found in the various green super foods available at the health food store that contain things like barley, chlorella, spirulina, royal jelly, etc. If there is a great nutritional deficiency, it is beneficial to seek the counsel of a competent health practitioner.

Another area of importance is a healthy hormonal system. Hormones regulate the functions of every cell in the body. If the hormonal system gets out of balance, the operations of the cells gets frustrated, which can lead to rapid aging. There are a great number of natural supplements that are helpful in harmonizing the hormonal system, depending on what the need is.

Since the hormonal system is such an intricate system, it is generally good to take supplements that supports the bodies own production of the various hormones, rather than supplying the finished hormone. A good food for the hormonal system comes from specific wild yams that contain the substance diascorea. Diascorea is something that the body can easily convert to hormonal substances depending on the body’s needs.

Additionally, the production of hormones depends on the availability of high quality fatty acids. They can be found in avocados, soy bean products, sunflower seeds, almonds, and in cold-pressed vegetable oils, such as olive oil, flax seed oil, safflower oil, and sunflower oil. Herbs that have traditionally been used to balance the hormonal system include ginseng, sarsaparilla, suma, dong quai, damiana, saw palmetto, red clover, alfalfa, nettle, blessed thistle, thyme, licorice, black cohosh, sage, and gotu kola.

In addition to normal waste that accumulate in the cell due to its normal metabolic processes, there are other harmful substances that greatly can impede the workings of the cell and cause it to die prematurely. Two of these substances are actually necessary for life itself. They are oxygen and glucose. In the body oxygen and glucose combine to create energy and form water and carbondioxide. The actual energy production takes place in the energy factory of the cell called the mitochondria and it is also here that trouble can begin. Minute imperfections of biological chemistry can cause a few percent of oxygen molecules to not be incorporated into water as they should be. They are instead transmuted into damaging oxygen radicals, or oxidants.

When iron is oxidized, we call the result rust. When we are oxidized, we call it aging. To protect from this to happen it is important to remove waste that can throw the biological chemistry off balance by supporting the body’s eliminatory organs and to supply the cells with nutrients that neutralize the oxygen radicals. These nutrients are known as antioxidants. By eating a diet filled with raw fruits and vegetables, we will continually supply a good amount of antioxidants. When eating fruits, however, it is important to not combine them with other foods.

The level of glucose in the blood stream is carefully monitored and regulated by the body. Eating too much sweets and denatured foods can throw this system off. Glucose is a sticky substance and has a tendency, if given the opportunity, to attach to proteins. Collagen is a flexible protein that makes it useful in the foundation of arteries, veins, lungs, skin, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. As glucose attaches to collagen it cross-links different strands of this protein with each other, resulting in less
flexibility. Less flexibility in arteries, skin, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage are directly related to the symptoms of aging.

An interesting note is that solidified proteins glued together into large masses compose the characteristic brain lesions of Alzheimer disease. A good step to avoid excessive amounts of glucose in the body is to avoid sugar and white flour and all foods that contain these ingredients. Focus on a high-complex carbohydrate and high fiber diet including plenty of raw fruits, berries, and vegetables and supplement your diet with spirulina and flax seed oil.

In order to have a healthy and youthful body it is essential to support the health of the cell. Premature cell death or poor cellular function is the major cause of rapid aging. By taking the necessary steps you can slow down the aging process and enjoy the blessings of a youthful and healthy body.

As a Naturopathic doctor Michael Karlfeldt, N.D., Ph.D., has helped countless of people to health and youthfulness through natural means. He runs a successful practice in Santa Monica, CA. He can be reached at llife2@earthlink.net and 208-887-6597 and 310-284-4827